


If you need me call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far

by inthelittlegenny



Series: Soulmates [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adoption, Deceased Aunt May, Fluff, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmates, Tony and Rhodey Bromance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-07-05 11:32:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15862764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inthelittlegenny/pseuds/inthelittlegenny
Summary: Okay, this was an experiment. I wanted to see how long I could write for, trying to keep everyone in character, and with decent pacing, because I really need to practice those. I might continue this, but my brain melts when I try to write anything over 3000 words...Thank you for reading, and enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this was an experiment. I wanted to see how long I could write for, trying to keep everyone in character, and with decent pacing, because I really need to practice those. I might continue this, but my brain melts when I try to write anything over 3000 words...
> 
> Thank you for reading, and enjoy!

“Hello Peter, my name is Henry. I know this is a difficult time, and I’m here to help you.” Henry says, crouching in front of Peter, who’s sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair.

Peter shuffles in his seat, uncomfortable with Henry’s gaze.

“I’ve been told your Aunt was your last living relative.” Henry says, putting a supportive hand on Peter’s knee. Peter doesn’t like the gesture, but makes no comment on it, letting his hand stay there.

“This means going into the system, I’m the social worker that will help you with that process.”

Peter concentrates on breathing, and, for the first time since receiving the news hours ago, moves.

“Where are you going Peter? We’ve got a lot of preparation work.” Henry asks, as Peter stands up, and slips past him.

Peter goes to his bag, carelessly tossed on an opposite chair, left there since he ran in and threw it down. He brings a shaky hand to the pocket, takes a second to unzip it, and brings out his phone.

“Oh, do you have someone you can call. Having another adult here can be helpful during the process.” Henry smiles, “I’ll give you a minute.” Henry walks over to the lobby and starts talking to the receptionist, still in view of the waiting room.

Peter sits on another hard chair, next to his bag. He unlocks his phone, and slowly goes into his contacts. He scrolls down to Mr Stark’s contact, but pauses. 

He puts a shaky hand over his chest, where his soulmate mark is. His mark is, simply put, an arc reactor. It’s a blue circle, on the centre of his chest. It’s Mr Stark’s, and he in turn, has a large spider, stretched across his back. Everyone he meets says he is so lucky to have a soulmate, but Peter, right now, feels like the unluckiest person in the world. His parents died, then his Uncle, now his…

He presses the contact. Immediately, Tony picks up.

“Hey kid, what’s up? School already boring you? You’ve only been there 15 minutes.” Tony laughs, and Peter looks at the clock on the wall.

He was called in early, his Aunt had a night shift. She had a heart attack at 3 in the morning, Peter arrived at 3:30. It’s now 9:15.

“Peter, hello? Kid? Best soulmate in the entire world?” Tony drawls out over the phone, regaining Peter’s attention.

“Help.” Peter stutters out, his first words since screaming at May to wake up.

“Peter, what’s the matter? I’m tracking you now, just hold tight kid.” Tony rushes out, voice turning serious quickly. Peter can hear him shouting at people over the phone, and soon the sounds of the Iron Man suit’s thrusters are heard.

“Talk to me Pete, are you hurt?” Tony asks, not once hanging up the phone and abandoning Peter.

“They want me to go, please. Please, I don’t wanna go.” Peter begs over the phone, barely registering Tony gasp at the familiar words.

Tony takes a shaking breath in, pushing down his own anxieties at the triggering phrase.

“Who wants you to go? Who’s taking you?” He questions, engaging all available power into the thrusters.

Peter puts a hand over his mouth, attempting to stifle his sobs.

“Peter?” Tony mutters, his heart breaking at hearing his kid cry.

“Social services. I don’t wanna go, please. Help me. Tony.” Peter whispers, afraid that Henry will hear, and attempt to stop him.

“What? Why are social services there? Just hold on, Kid. Don’t go with anyone. I’m just a few seconds away, I can see the hospital now.”

Peter nods, and clutches the phone to his ear. Tony focuses on getting to Peter’s location as soon as he can. Henry walks back over.

“So, Peter, do you want to come with me to my office, then we can discuss what happens next.” Henry asks, and Peter quickly shakes his head. “Well, we don’t want to wait here all day, I find hospitals very depressing.”

“Get away from my kid.” Tony says, his Nanotech armour disappearing from around. He’s walking over from the doors, past the reception, over to the waiting room.

Henry turns around, surprised at Tony’s appearance.

“Oh, you’re Tony Stark.” He turns around to look at Peter, “Is this who you called, how do you know each other?”

Peter ignores Henry’s question, and let’s his phone drop to the floor, as he stands up. He runs over to Tony, and they meet in the middle of the waiting room.

Peter immediately clutches at Tony’s t-shirt, underneath a blazer, and starts crying into his chest. Tony brings his arms around Peter, holding him close, and gently patting his hair in an attempt to calm him.

“Someone, explain what’s going on.” He asks, throwing the question out to anyone who can answer.

Henry composes himself from his initial shock, at seeing the Tony Stark, and walks over.

“Peter’s had a tough morning. His Aunt died earlier, a heart attack whilst at work, and I’m here as his social worker.” Henry explains.

“Shit kid, I’m so sorry.” Tony mutters, slowly rocking Peter as he cries. “I’m sorry.”

Tony stands there, consoling Peter for a bit, as Peter tries calms down.

“How long have you been here?” Tony asks, pulling away slightly to look at Peter.

Peter looks up at him with teary, red eyes and Tony uses the pad of his thumb to wipe them away.

“All morning, please, Tony. I don’t want to be here anymore.” He pleads, not wanting to be at the location of May’s work place and death, it’s difficult to comprehend her not being here.

“Yeah kid, of course. Just get your bag, and we can start walking back to the tower, and Happy can meet us along the way.” Tony answers, gently pushing Peter in the direction of his bag.

“Just asking professionally, of course,” Henry starts, glancing through a file containing Peter’s information. “What relation do you have to Peter. I can’t let you walk away with him. I now have temporary guardianship over him, until we settle him elsewhere.”

Tony stares at Henry, aware that he’s just doing his job, though more annoyed that he wants to take Peter away.

“I’m his soulmate, so that means if he has no other blood relatives, his guardianship falls to me.” Tony says quietly, not wanting to draw the attention of passing doctors, nurses and patients.

Henry looks shocked, “That is incredibly rare, how can you be sure? It doesn’t mention a soul mark in his files.”

“They haven’t been updated since he met me then, obviously.” Tony states. Only a few hundred thousand people have soulmates, so, in comparison to the billions in the world, it is incredibly unique. “And yes, I’m positive.”

Peter walks back over, his phone in his bag, strapped to his back.

“Peter, can you confirm Tony Stark is your soulmate? I will need to see both your marks as evidence, then we’ll need to run examinations with an expert.” Henry says, already pulling out his phone. “We can do this somewhere private, would you both like to come to my office?”

Tony looks briefly at Peter, who shrugs in consent; knowing it will be the only way to shortcut the system, so Tony agrees, albeit reluctantly. 

They’ve come up with a cover story, for Tony’s mark being a spider -as to keep Peter’s identity a secret-; Peter having arachnophobia. It’s unusual, for a mark to be something you fear, but if it’s a major piece of your life, it is accepted.

They leave the hospital, Peter breathing a sigh of relief.

“Well, my office is a few minutes’ walk from here, I hope that’s no issue.” Henry says and starts striding down the street. “If you’ll excuse me a minute, I need to make a phone call whilst we walk, and get my colleague to meet us.”

“Go ahead.” Tony agrees, and starts following the man, reading Henry’s name on his badge.

Henry starts talking over the phone, glancing back occasionally to ensure they are still behind him. Peter’s rubbing his hands together nervously, whilst Tony has a casual arm around his shoulders, and guides him down the street. Tony has sunglasses on, hoping no one will recognise him. Luckily only a few people spare him a glance, most people to busy with their own lives.

They reach a large building, one used for different businesses to use as offices. Henry unlocks the door with a code, and enters, Tony pushing Peter inside, before following and shutting the door behind him. Henry hangs up the phone, and shoves it in his pocket.

“Right, we’re on the 23rd floor. So, we’ll use the elevator.” He says, and calls for the elevator. He laughs to himself, before turning to Tony and Peter.

“You’re lucky you didn’t come here last week,” He starts, “The elevator broke, so everyone had to use the stairs. I’ve never had such a work out.”

The elevator dings, and the doors slide open, and they step in. The elevator quickly taking them up to the correct floor.

When they step out, they notice a hub of desks, all with computers, and papers stacked everywhere. Off to the side, are individual cubicles for private meetings, Henry leads them over to the first available one.

“Right, my colleague will be here shortly, just to do basic examinations to confirm you are in fact soulmates. You would not believe the amount of people claiming a false soulmate status.”

Henry looks at his watch. “Right, I’ll leave you for a few minutes, and get the necessary paper to transfer temporary guardianship over to you, Mr Stark. We will still need to ensure you will be a suitable guardian, so the same procedures for adoption will happen. However, due to your soulmate relation, this will be a much easier process.”

Henry leaves the room and closes the door behind him. They can see his figure through the glass wall, approach a desk.

“Mr Stark, you really don’t need to do all this! I don’t want to be a burden, you’re already forced to be my soulmate!” Peter stutters out, a little overwhelmed at how fast everything is moving.

“Shhh, kid. Don’t worry.” Tony says, leading Peter to the couch, and sitting down with him. Peter quickly calms down, perks of being a soulmate; instantly calmer in the others presence.

“Firstly, I heard you call me Tony earlier, so no going back to Mr Stark now.” He says, earning a small smile from Peter. “And kid, you called me earlier, not because you wanted me, but because you needed me.” Peter looks down, embarrassed. Tony lightly grabs his chin, and tilts his head back up.

“And I need to be here, with you. Not just because we’re soulmates, but because you’re already my kid. Your Aunt wouldn’t have wanted you to go with strangers, hell, she already brought up making me an official legal guardian over you anyway. I said no, because she was already doing an amazing job.”

Peter’s smile falters, as he realises his Aunt his truly gone. Tony instantly pulls him into a hug.

“This really sucks kid,” Tony says, letting Peter cry into him again. Feeling tears build up in his own eyes, May was such an incredible woman. “I’m sorry, Peter. You don’t deserve this, she didn’t deserve this.”

“It’s not fair, why does everyone die? She’s not allowed to leave me, it’s not fair.” Peter mutters, ignoring how childish he’s sounding.

They sit there for a few minutes, Peter letting out a tired sigh. Tony affectionately rubs his hair.

“You must be tired kid, it’s been a long day.” He says, Peter letting out a small laugh.

“Mr- Tony. It’s only 9:45.”

“God, it’s way too early.” Tony mutters, Peter throwing him an apologetic look. Tony quickly dismisses it. “Not your fault kid, I was already up for a meeting. You’ve successfully saved my sanity by dragging me out of it.”

The door opens, and Henry walks back in, followed by a woman.

“Mr Stark, Peter, this is the colleague I was telling you about earlier, the expert in soulmate relations.” Henry introduces.

She smiles pleasantly, and holds out her hand to Tony, who shakes it. “Hello, my name is Farrah. I’ve been made aware of your situation.” She smiles, “Now, I would like to take a few samples of your DNA, there should be some visible links between them. I’ll also ask you a few questions whilst I work, is this alright.”

She asks, moving his suitcase to the table, opening it, revealing all sorts of medical equipment.

“Yes, do whatever you need.” Tony agrees, and she turns to Peter.

“Yeah, go ahead.” He confirms, and she smiles.

“Good, now. Firstly, I’d like to see your marks. Henry can be excused if you find this to be to personal.” She says.

“That would probably be for the best, you know, the less people who know about my soulmate the better.” Tony decides, Farrah agreeing quickly.

“Yes, being a soulmate with your status would be exciting news indeed. Henry,” She turns to Henry.

“Fine by me, take all the time you need.” He leaves the room again.

“So, Peter would you like to start. Can I see your mark?” She asks, sitting on a chair opposite the couch.

Peter looks down at his pyjama top, only now realising what top he is wearing.

‘Sidekick to the Fe man’ shirt. He can feel Tony smirk at him, and notices Farrah containing a giggle.

“I hate you.” Peter mutters to Tony, the shirt being a gift from him when Peter passed a difficult Spanish exam.

He lifts his top, pulling it up revelling the blue circle, imitating an arc reactor.

“Well, that is obvious why that is the mark.” Farrah says, writing a note of it in her notepad.

Peter pulls back down his top, and reaches for a jumper in his bag. He grins, noticing it to be a Captain America one. He takes it out, and goes to put it on.

“Hey, I thought I made you throw that one away?” Tony asks, grabbing the jumper and holding it away from Peter. He puts it on the floor, on the other side of him, so Peter can’t get it.

“You did, so I hid it in my bag.” Peter replies, shrugging innocently.

“Mr Stark, would you please show me your mark.” Farrah asks, finishing her writing with an elaborate dot.

Tony shrugs off his blazer, tossing it onto Peter’s head. Peter shakes his head, the Blazer falling into his lap instead. Tony turns around, and lifts his shirt up. The bottom of the spider can be seen, and Peter silently hopes Farrah doesn’t put the facts together. Everyone knows that Iron Man and Spiderman work together closely.

She doesn’t comment on Spiderman at all.

“What is the story behind the spider?” She questions, looking at Peter, as it would be linked to him.

“I just, really hate spiders.” He mutters, nervously. She hums in agreement.

“Yeah, I completely understand that. When I was 7, I woke up to a giant one next to my pillow, never been a fan of them since. Thank you, Mr Stark.” She replies, jotting more notes in her book.

Tony turns back around and puts his blazer hack on.

“Well, this looks fine so far, but I do have to ensure they’re not tattoos. Although, I can hardly believe someone would let, you Peter, a minor, get a tattoo.” She explains briefly, before bringing out a small scanner.

“Right, the quick test is scanning your eyes, and comparing the results.” She announces, bringing the device in front of Peters face. She presses a button, and a small blue light appears, flitting over Peter’s eye. It beeps, and she pulls away.

“Perfect, thank you, Peter.” She says, and presses a few buttons on the device before holding it up to Tony. The process is repeated, and once over, she sits back down, looking at the small screen on the device.

She waits for a moment as the data is analysed, before the results appear. She studies them for a moment, nodding to herself.

“This all seems perfect. Clear signs of platonic soulmates are present.” She pauses, transferring the numbers on screen onto paper. “Lovely. I’ll only ask for one more test, a simple fingerprint.” Soulmates typically have symmetrical fingerprints, only slightly varying.”

She puts the eye scanner away, and pulls out another, similar looking device.

“Place you index finger on this panel please.” She asks Peter, and he does. Tony repeating the action afterwards. She looks at the screen again, copying down the results.

“Yes, it seems you are soulmates. I would congratulate you, but it seems you already knew. I’ll call Henry back in now, and he can proceed with your guardianship.” Farrah opens the door, and waves Henry over.

“All done?” He asks as he enters.

“Yes, I can confirm them as soulmates.” She nods, tidying up her equipment and folders. She hands over a copy of the information to Henry, who briefly looks at it, before focusing his attention back on Tony and Peter.

“Okay, let’s continue then.”

Soon, Tony is signing paper after paper. Peter occasionally putting his name down. Tony’s eyes blur, from reading every line of print as thoroughly as he can, not wanting to waste time for a lawyer to arrive, but not wanting to sign anything he or Peter don’t agree with.

12:30 falls come around quickly, and Henry shuffles all the paperwork into a folder.

“Right, that’s everything so far. You have guardianship over Peter. We will be in contact with more information, however, you’re free to go.” Henry says, with relief, tired of all the paperwork himself.

Tony looks over at Peter, who in on the verge of falling asleep on the couch. Tucked underneath Tony’s blazer. Tony sends a quick text to Happy, asking to be picked up. He walks over to Peter, gently cupping his cheek, causing Peter to stir, and slowly sit up.

“You ready to go?” He asks quietly. Peter nods, enjoying the feel of Tony’s hand against his cheek.

“Hmm,” He hums out, “The tower?”

“Yeah, Kiddo. We’re heading to the tower right now, then you can properly fall asleep there.”

Tony grabs Peter’s backpack, and swings it over one of his shoulders, and helps Peter up. Peter grabs Tony’s hand, and Henry leads them back to the elevator.

They get out onto the street quickly, after saying thank you and goodbye to Henry, and start walking towards the tower.

They hold hands, mostly so Tony can guide an emotionally and physically exhausted Peter around.

“I should go to school, Tony.” Peter says suddenly, lightly pulling his mentors arm in the opposite direction.

Tony sighs, “Peter, of all the excuses to get out of school, this is the most valid one. School is the least of your concerns right now.”

Peter still pulls on Tony’s arm though, so they stop walking, “I’ve got this really important, grade depending homework, in my bag though! May wouldn’t-“ He sniffs, a suspiciously sad sniff, with an equally suspicious accompanying eye rub, “-she wanted me to hand it in on time, as she helped me proof read it! She said it’d be the best essay anyone’s ever read, it’s still in my bag.”

“Okay, we’ll swing by the school, and you can hand in your work. But then, immediately after, we go to the tower.” Tony compromises, just as Happy pulls up to them. Tony opens the door for Peter, and gets in behind him.

“We’re going to the kid’s school first, then to the tower.” Tony says, and realises no one will have informed the school of the situation, so he should do that as well.

The school is 30 minutes away, and they spend the trip in silence. Peter leaning himself on Tony’s shoulder, and Tony sending messages to Pepper, informing her of the situation, and asking her to organise the funeral.

They pull up at the school quickly, and Tony and Peter jump out, Tony still carrying Peter’s bag.

They walk up the stairs to reception, and the receptionist does a double take, at seeing Tony Stark walk in.

“Oh, hello. What can I help you with?” He asks, instantly turning to Tony.

“I’m here with Peter Parker,” Tony says, the man turning to type something in on his computer.

“Ah, yes.” He says quickly, “Peter has not been registered in attendance for any of his classes. I’ll put him down for a late arrival, lunch has just ended.”

Tony quickly intervenes, “No, he’s not staying school. He’s just wants to drop off an assignment.”

Peter waves a couple of pages at the receptionist. “It’s for Miss Warren, can I drop it off here?”

“I would be able to give it to her at the end of the day.” The receptionist says.

“They need to be in now, we have to hand them in at the same time, otherwise it would count as additional time!” Peter says urgently, wary his class will be handing in the assignments any second.

“I can’t leave the desk unattended, but you can go in yourself.” He says, opening the door remotely for Peter.

“Thank you.” Peter replies, and rushes into the building.

“Mr Willows, why is there a student, specifically Peter Parker, running through the halls, with your permission?” The Principal asks, walking into reception, surprised at Tony Stark, hanging around. “Mr Stark, what are you doing at Midtown?”

“I’m here with my intern, Peter. He wanted to hand in some homework, and I want to speak to someone about him having the next few days off.” Tony says, swiping his sunglasses of his face, and flashing the Principal with a charming smile.

“Oh, you can speak to me, personally, in my office. I’m the Principal here.” He introduces, offering Tony his hand.

“Yes, Mr Morita. I know, Peter’s mentioned you before.” Tony says casually, shaking his hand. They walk into his office, nearby the front reception.

“So, as I said earlier, Peter’s not coming into school.” Tony starts, getting straight to the point.

“Is this due to his internship?” Morita asks, sitting down behind his desk, Tony taking the seat in front of him.

“No, it’s more of a personal matter.” Tony explains, wondering how to approach it. “His Aunt, May Parker, died earlier this morning.”

“Oh no, she was his last living relative. The poor guy’s gone through so much.” Morita replies, shocked.

Tony nods, “Yes, so I’ll be taking custody of him. We’ll need to amend his emergency contacts, to himself and my partner, and head of security et cetera…”

“Of course, I can change this right now.” Morita says, pulling up the necessary files on his computer.

Tony lists of his contacts first, registering himself as the primary information, and Pepper, Happy and Rhodey are secondary details. 

“Is it necessary for 4 contacts, students typically only have 2.” Morita asks, but Tony quickly waves him off.

“I have no idea who will even be in the state, never mind able to help Peter is required. I want those 4 contacts available.” Tony briefly explains, Morita not questioning him again.

“Okay, I’ll organise some work now for Peter to do at home. I understand he needs personal time, but he can’t let this get him behind on his studies. He is a smart student.” Morita says, trying to be both sympathetic and a responsible teacher.

“That’s fine, he will probably appreciate the distraction.” Tony agrees. “If it’s easier, you can drop it off at my tower each day. So, his scheduled curriculum isn’t interrupted.”

“That would helpful, thank you Mr Stark.” Morita replies. There is a knock at the door.

Morita turns his attention to the source, “Come in.”

Peter pokes his head around, and Tony stand immediately, walking over to him.

“Hey kid, you done?” He asks, and Peter nods.

“We’ll be seeing you later then, Mr Morita.” Tony doesn’t wait for an answer, and focuses on getting Peter into the car, and back to the tower, as quickly as possible.

Peter leans against the car window, finally going to the tower, letting his eyes close for the first time since, it happened.

“Come here, kiddie.” Tony says, pulling Peter to lie down in the car, using his lap as a cushion.

“Thanks Mr Stark,” Peter mutters, looking up at Tony.

Tony looks down at Peter, and starts playing with his curls.

“For what kid,” Tony smiles.

Peter attempts a shrug, laying down. “Just for, being here.”

Tony shakes his head, “You don’t need to thank me, but I accept nonetheless.”

Peter quickly falls asleep, as they make drive over. 

They pull into the Tower’s garage, and Happy gets out the car, walking over to open the door for Tony. Tony engages the nanotech around him, so he can carry Peter, he wouldn’t have the strength otherwise. He gently manoeuvres Peter into his arms, careful so he doesn’t wake. 

He walks over to the elevator, Happy receiving a message from Pepper.

“Boss, I’ve got to go, you alright with the kid?” He asks, clearly concerned for Peter. 

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Is Pepper here or at the compound?” Tony asks, starting towards the elevator.

Happy shakes his head, “No, I’ve got to drive her to the airport, she’ll be out of state for a few days. She’ll be back for May’s funeral though, it’s been scheduled for next Tuesday.”

“Right, okay.” Tony sighs, and walks into the elevator. FRIDAY immediately sends them up to the penthouse.

Peter remains asleep, so Tony takes him straight to his bedroom. Peter doesn’t spend much time at the tower, usually him and Tony meet at the compound upstate, but still, Tony has a bedroom prepared for him.

The walls are a light grey, a colour – Tony recently learnt – helps nullify Peter’s senses when he experiences sensory overload. There’s a desk, with a custom-built desktop on it. There’s a bookshelf, filled with books. A Star Wars encyclopaedia, a shelf full of comics, and a box of classical clarinet music, just to name a few items. Posters are framed in the room, a periodic table, an Iron Man one, and several bands Peter mentioned he likes; Gorillaz and Ramones. Tony even slipped in an ACDC one.

Tony carefully lowers him onto the bed, and pulls the covers over him. The nanotech retracts, and he leaves Peter to sleep, the exhaustion knocking him out deeply.

Once outside Peter’s bedroom, Tony falls onto the floor, letting his own tears fall. Although, he’s become much more of a parent to Peter, than a Mentor, he still doesn’t feel ready. May would handle any actual ‘parenting’ aspects.

“Tony?” He hears from down the hall. He wipes his eyes, hoping they’re not too red, and investigates the familiar voice.

“Tony, you here?” Rhodey says, voice loud, but not shouting.

Tony rounds the corner, and leans against it. “Hey Rhodes,”

“Oh, you’re looking rough, what’s up?” Rhodey asks, following Tony on the large sofa, in the main room.

“Well,” Tony starts, sighing, “My little soulmate’s Aunt died earlier this morning, and he called me in tears, whilst fighting off the advances of social services. I now have temporary custody over him, which will eventually lead me to adopting him because, as he has no blood relatives now, I am his soulmate, so I’m the next legal guardian for him. But, everyone’s neglecting the fact that I’m going to be a shitty father, as I’m going to end up just like Howard.”

Tony leans back against the couch, rubbing his hands over his face in exasperation. Rhodey sits there, taking in all the information.

“Shit. That is a bad day.” He says finally, folding his arms. “So, before we start, I’ll warn you, this will be a heart to heart moment.”

Tony laughs sarcastically, turning away. “Oh god, just make it quick.”

Rhodey doesn’t let this faze him, used to Tony’s sarcastic quips. “You are not Howard. You worrying about this, already makes you a better father than he was.” Tony goes to interrupt, but Rhodey raises an eyebrow, and he quickly shuts up.

“And I completely agree, you will be the next best guardian for Peter. You’re a caring person, and so selfless.”

“The media wouldn’t agree with you there,” Tony says humourlessly.

“No, they wouldn’t, because they don’t know the real you. I’m your best friend, and yeah, initially you were a sarcastic asshole.” Tony throws a smile at Rhodey, “But I’ve seen you grow over these past years, and you’re already the best dad Peter could ask for.”

“God, I don’t want to replace anyone. Peter absolutely loved his Uncle, and already had a father. His mother too, and now May.”

“You’re not. Peter barely knew his mother and father, and nothing can replace anyone he’s lost, especially his Aunt and Uncle. But, you can still be his dad. Your soulmate status proves this. You already have a deep connection to each other, more so then many other people can. And honestly, you can’t afford to abandon Peter. He needs the support, you leaving him now, well, he wouldn’t have anyone left. You would be heartbroken. You need him as much as he needs you.”

Rhodey stops, letting his words settle, before concluding his speech.

“You will be a great dad. Peter already thinks you are. Hell, I already see myself as the kid’s uncle. So, just stop worrying about it. You’ll make mistakes, but honestly, you just need to be you; that’s all Peter wants.”

“Wow, that was, borderline heart-warming.” Tony comments, and Rhodey scoffs.

“That’s it. That’s last time I’m nice to you.” Rhodey says, raising his hands in defeat.

Tony sits up, and coughs, muttering his words, “Thank you, Rhodey.”

Rhodey pulls a shocked face, gasping dramatically. “Wow, FRIDAY, save that footage. Tony Stark thanked me, what an honour.”

Tony ignores him, and goes into the kitchen to make himself a coffee.

“I hope that isn’t the only thing you’re eaten, or drank, today.” Rhodey offhandedly comments, and Tony’s eyes widen.

“Oh shit, the kid! I bet he hasn’t even had breakfast, and it’s way past lunch.” Tony says, immediately putting down his coffee, instead searching through the fridge and cupboards, in hopes of finding anything.

Rhodey enters the kitchen, and tugs Tony away from his search.

“Right, I’m giving you permission to go and hide in your workshop for a bit. I’ll make lunch, dinner, whatever the meal is. The kid can sleep, you can reset, and then everyone can eat and feel rested.” Rhodey insists, leaving no room for argument.

Tony smiles gratefully at him, “I would thank you again, but you don’t need it going to your head.”

“Shut up,” Rhodey laughs, and shoves him away. Tony enters the elevator, going down to his workshop, lab space.

The lights automatically turn on when he enters.

“FRIDAY, turn on the music. Make it loud, I want Rhodey to hear it. And, enhance the muffler in the kids’ room.” Tony asks, ears filling up with the familiar tunes of ACDC.


	2. Chapter 2

The funeral was, hard. Many people came, it was heart-warming, to see the amount of people who wanted to say a proper goodbye to May.

As tradition, family sat on the front benches. Peter is her only remaining family, and asked Tony to sit with him. Tony held Peter’s hand through the ceremony, and only let it go, for Peter to say a few words.

“Aunt May, was… she is. The best mum, I’ll ever have.” He stuttered out, folding with the piece of paper he jotted his words on. “She always said I talked to much, so I promise to keep this brief.”

This got a few chuckles, and Peter looked up. He saw the crammed rows of people, squished into the benches, uncaring that it was uncomfortable. He saw people in the doorway, standing, listening intently. Ned was crying, on the row behind Peter, next to his own family. Peter smiled at him.

“Most of you know her, through work or friendships. She was amazing, so kind and empathetic, she always listened to everyone’s problems and tried to help.” Peter blinked through his tears, “I know her, as my aunt, my mother. The most loving, and supportive person for me.”

He paused again, taking a few deep and measured breaths.

“I’ll miss you.”

He said, wiping away the tears freely flowing down his face.

“I’ll really miss you.”

Everyone was in tears. Tissues were used, hugs were being shared, people not even attempting to stifle their sobbing.

He whispered his last line, only for himself and May to hear.

“I love you…”

 

After the ceremony, and May’s body was taken away, everyone gathered outside. Peter was the last to leave. Tony put a steady hand on his shoulder, when Peter came up to him outside, before other guests swept Peter into embraces and consoling words, deep into the crowd.

Peter was numb, vaguely accepting every hug sent his way, and every set of kind words with a smile. He shook hands to people he faintly recognised, and was introduced to May’s colleagues from work.

Peter’s only request for the funeral, was that, instead of a traditional wake, everyone who wants to, goes on a walk.

May never discussed her funeral, she wasn’t ready to go, but she always complained about the gathering afterwards.

“I hate that people just, stay inside and mope around. I want people to get out and enjoy life. Make the time, to just be happy, take a walk.”

Everyone travelled to the nearby lake.

Peter took Tony’s hand, and just walked.

They walked around the lake, it wasn’t overly large, but it was serene. Groups of people started dropping out, catching up with Peter, to say goodbye.

Soon, it was just Peter and Tony.

Holding hands, around the lake.

 

“I should go back to school.” Peter says, the morning after the funeral. Tony looks up from his coffee, blinking in confusion.

“Kiddo, are you sure? You don’t need to pressure yourself to go, the Principal has made sure to send you the work.” Tony asks, worried about Peter returning so soon.

Peter nods, taking a sip of the tea Tony made for him. “I want to. There’s only a few weeks left, until the end of term anyway. I should go whilst I can.”

Tony wants to protest. His plan, if he was allowed, would be to wrap Peter in a giant duvet, and keep him safe and happy for the next 5 years. But, that’s not reasonable, according to Rhodey anyway.  
He smiles at Peter, and sits on the barstool next to him.

“Let’s compromise.” Peter looks at him, and nods for him to continue. “Start next week. It’s sooner then I’d like you to go, but it gives you a few days to recharge.”

Peter thinks for a minute, before nodding. “Okay, thanks Tony.”

They finish their drink in silence, Tony feeling the caffeine starting to work, and Peter enjoying his Aunt’s favourite drink.

“So, do you need a distraction, or a comfort day?” Tony asks, grabbing his and Peter’s empty mugs, and putting them in the sink.

“I, don’t really know.” Peter says, uncertainly, playing with the sleeves of his jumper.

Tony walks over to his soulmate, and gently places his hand over Peter’s, calming the kid.

“That’s okay, we can start with a film, and if you’re up for it later, we can go to the workshop.” Tony suggests, and slowly takes Peter’s hand, leading him towards the sofa.

“I don’t want you to have to stay with me though, you’ve already done more then enough.” Peter says, feeling anxious about occupying all of Tony’s time. “You’re so important, you should be using your time productively.”

“Peter,” Tony says firmly, still being gentle though, “You are the most important person to me. My time is best spent with you.” He takes Peter’s cheek in his hand, looking him directly in the eye, desperately trying to convey how truthful he’s being.

“Now, correct me if I’m wrong.” Tony says, pulling away, and continuing to the sofa. “But, I think today is a comfort day.”

Peter says nothing, and sits down on the large sofa.

“So, the most important question you’ll ever answer.” Tony says, lifting blankets into Peter’s vision. “Will we use 1 blanket, or 2?”

Peter laughs, giggling at Tony trying to be serious.

“Don’t laugh, this is serious.” Tony mutters, laughing slightly himself.

“2 blankets, we’re hardcore.” Peter answers, moving up on the sofa, so Tony can sit next to him.

“Damn right, we’re hardcore.” Tony agrees, sitting on the sofa next to Peter. He places the blankets around them both, and puts his arm around Peter’s shoulders, pulling him closer. Peter leans his head against Tony’s shoulder.

“And already, I’m too hot.” Tony sighs, though, not moving from his comfortable position.

“FRIDAY, drop the temperature 5 degrees.” Peter asks, snuggling into Tony further.

Tony squeezes Peter, nuzzling his hair a little. “You’re so smart.” He praises.

“So, I know you love Star Wars, but I’m in the mood for Lord of the Rings? Sound good?” Tony suggests, already knowing that Peter has been wanting to watch it for a while. A few weeks ago, it was all he would talk about and reference.

“Yeah, that sounds great.” Peter says.

“FRIDAY, you heard him, Fellowship of the Ring.” Tony says, and the film starts playing on the giant monitor.

Peter falls asleep quickly, a clear sign to Tony that he spent the night awake, rather than sleeping.

“FRIDAY darken the screen, and lower the volume. A certain spider baby needs his sleep.” Tony whispers, pulling out his phone, to browse his emails. The screen becomes a soft glow, and the sound is barely audible for Tony.

He swipes his phone, dismissing half the emails, as they usually get sent to Pepper as well. They’re not important, and nobody even realises he receives emails about Stark industries. He does though, and always keep up with the company’s progress and advancements.

‘Friday 15th Feb, Stark Industries Gala.’ An email reads, and Tony hesitantly continues, ‘Celebrating our CEO’s birthday, Miss Pepper Potts. Competitors and Business Partners have been invited for a friendly celebration, which will invoke friendliness, crucial for Stark Industries’ expansion into other major businesses.’

Tony sighs, looking at the current date. Wednesday, 13th.

“FRIDAY call up Miss Potts.” Tony asks, putting his phone down, rubbing his hand along his face.

“Tony? Is everything alright? I’m kind of busy at the moment, how’s Peter, is he up yet?” Pepper starts, voice filling the main room in the Penthouse tower.

“Yeah, we’re having a comfort day. Lord of the Rings and blankets.” He replies.

Pepper laughs, “That sounds lovely, I’ll message Happy to bring you some ice cream.”

Tony smiles, at how considerate she is. “Thank you, so, the reason I called you…”

Pepper interrupts, “This is about Friday, isn’t it?” She says with a sigh, “I know you want to spend time with Peter, but this Gala, as much as I hate to admit it, it is less about my birthday, and more about improving relations. You really need to go and make a good impression.”

“Pep, it’s just too soon to leave the kid. A week since it happened, and a couple of days since the funeral.”

“Look, I’m sorry, but this has been planned for months. Our reputation is improving, being absent at important events will decrease our relations with potential business partners. The media will slate you for not attending as well, you need to show your face for at least an hour.” Pepper explains, then pauses to talk to people away from the phone.

Tony waits for a minute, playing idly with Peter’s hair, watching as Frodo talks with Sam on screen.

“Tony,” Pepper says, focusing back on the phone, “I need to go, but don’t worry about the Gala. It’s days away, spend time with Peter till then. I love you.” She rushes out.

“Okay, love you too.” Tony says, just before she hangs up the phone.

Peter yawns, and slowly lifts himself up. “Is it really important?” He mumbles out, rubbing his eyes.

“You heard that, kiddie?” Tony says, looking over a Peter, adorably blinking himself awake.

He slowly nods, “Yeah, sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Don’t worry kiddo, nothing you weren’t allowed to hear.”

FRIDAY takes the initiative to turn up the brightness and volume again, now that Peter’s awake. So, they watch the film for a few minutes.

Tony then answers Peter’s previous question, “It’s kind of important, but nothing for you to worry about.”

“But, you have to go?” Peter asks uncertainly.

Tony looks over at him, and Peter’s clenched his fists nervously. Tony puts his hand over Peter’s, and gently uncurls his fist, so he doesn’t hurt himself.

“It’ll only be for an hour, hopefully. No longer than necessary, I promise.”

Peter’s breathing begins to pick up, as he gets more worried.

“Oh god, but if you go, then I’ll be alone. Everyone leaves me, I don’t want you to go.”

Tony grabs Peter’s face, wiping away the tears that have appeared, cradling his cheek comfortingly. Peter can’t help the tears that slip out, and he begins panicking slightly at the thought of Tony leaving him.

“Hey, hey, Kid? It’s okay, you’re alright. I’m here.” Tony starts, rushing out reassurances, “You can come with me, if you want? You can come, it’s okay kid. Don’t cry, you’ll set me off.”

Peter looks up at Tony, eyes red, but calming down.

“I can come? You won’t leave me?” He asks, reminding Tony that he is still a kid. A scared kid, who has lost everyone else. He smiles at him.

“Of course, buddy, it’s basically Pepper’s birthday party, so she has to invite her favourite kid.” Tony says, thankful that Peter’s no longer crying.

Peter lets out a relieved sigh. He rests his head on Tony’s chest, listening to his heart beat. He feels Tony’s lungs expand and contract, and mimics it, calming his own breaths to match his soulmates.

They finish the film, and next one starts immediately. Peter, though, is getting restless. He loves cuddling with Tony, in the warm cocoon of blankets. But his attention is drifting, and he starts fidgeting.

“You wanna go down to the lab for a bit?” Tony asks, feeling the restlessness from Peter, possibly due to them being soulmates, or just due to Peter’s continuous wriggling. “I think you need a change of atmosphere.”

Tony stands up, the blankets falling off him, and in a heap of the floor.

“Shit,” He mutters, shivering. “That was colder than I expected.”

Peter curls up on the sofa, “Oh god, yep. That’s cold.”

“FRIDAY, back to the normal temperature.” Tony says quickly, pulling Peter up.

The elevator dings, and Happy walks out, with his arms full of bags. “Boss? You wanted ice cream?” He says, dumping the 2 bags on the counter.

Peter and Tony look at each other, silently contemplating wanting the ice cream, even though they are still cold. Wanting the ice cream wins.

Tony starts taking out the tubs, and assessing each of the flavours.

“Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint?” He says, Peter grabbing the mint.

“Yes, the superior flavour!” Peter says, grabbing a spoon for himself and Tony.

“Cookie dough? Or Pistachio?” Tony contemplates, sliding over the Vanilla to Happy. “Go ahead, you can have it.”

Happy’s face lights up for a moment, before nicking the spoon from Peter’s hand, just as he’s about to use it.

“Thanks,” He says, to both Tony and Peter, before re-entering the elevator.

Peter rolls his eyes, and grabs another spoon.

“Cookie dough, Tony. Choosing Pistachio would be a mistake.” Peter slides the spoon over to Tony.

Tony puts down the Pistachio. “Okay kid, I’ll trust you this time.” They quickly put the other ice creams away in the freezer, before going down to the lab.

The lab’s light turn on once they enter, and the Iron Legion 2 prototypes are scattered around. Rogue pieces of armour, and schematics on every available work bench space. Designs showing different types of armour, are on every monitor.

“Wow, Tony.” Peter gasps, having not been in the lab since the accident. “Is this what you’ve been talking about?”

“It’s going to be a lot more impressive when it’s complete,” Tony says, although pleased his work has Peter’s approval.

Peter goes over to the designs, staring at them intently. “These suits function differently, so they can work together to be as efficient as they can!”

“Yeah, that’s the idea.” Tony agrees, “So, you want to help?”

Peter’s eye widen, and he twirls around to face Tony. “Are you serious? You want my help on a project like this!”

Tony walks over to Peter by the design, clapping him on the shoulder. “Of course, I do. Let me show you how to assemble a suit.”

They work for hours, only stopping for the ice cream, half melted, but still good.

“Mr Stark, is FRIDAY going to be in each suit?” Peter asks, staring at the designs again.

Tony looks up from the suit he’s assembling, screwdriver in mouth. “That’s the plan.” He mumbles around the tool.

“Well, you’ve probably thought of this already. But I think having individual AI’s would be better for each suit, you know, so they can have a specialty that works best with their suit.” Peter starts, nervous about correcting Tony’s designs.

Tony takes the screwdriver out of his mouth, and gives Peter his full attention. “Carry on kid.”

Peter nods, and continues to explain, “Right, well, you’ve already designed the suits to be individuals, so having them equipped with an AI that can use them to their full potential would be most effective for them? Also, if FRIDAY is ever out of commission, you could still use the suits? I’m sorry, I’m just rambling now, don’t worry.” Peter bails, worried that his idea is stupid.

“Wait kid, you might be onto something?” Tony praises, walking over to a monitor to input ideas, “I was thinking that FRIDAY could most effectively communicate between the suits herself, but I didn’t add the different variables of the suits, and you’re definitely right with the security reasoning.”

He pauses, smiling up at Peter. “Nice job, kid.” 

Peter beams at the praise, just as Rhodey walks into the workshop.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been here all day?” He says, walking in observing the organised chaos.

“What’s the time?” Tony asks, closing the monitor he was using.

“Time you had some dinner,” Rhodey states, “God, I spend my life making sure you eat, I swear.”

Peter perks up at the mention of food, not realising how hungry he is. Tony looks at Peter, guiltily, before leading him to the elevator. Rhodey following them in.

“Pizza’s waiting upstairs, I ordered for you. Don’t tell me I don’t do anything for you.” Rhodey says, and sure enough, when they arrive in the Penthouse – pizza is waiting on the counter.

“Thank you, Mr Rhodey, Sir!” Peter beams, rushing over to grab plates from the counter for each of them. He loads up his plate, though, leaving plenty for Tony and Rhodey.

“No problem, kid. Someone needs to feed you.” He says, taking one of the plates.

Rhodey fills up his plate next, as Tony pours himself a coffee.

“Tony,” Rhodey says warningly, “Have some actual food.”

Tony rolls his eyes but nods, and grabs a slice of pizza, forgoing the plate. Peter sits on one of the barstools by the island counter, and Rhodey joins him, sitting on the one next to him. Tony leans against the opposite counter, drinking coffee, and occasionally leaning over to grab pizza.

“Mr Rhodey?” Peter starts, finishing a large mouthful, “Are you going to the Gala on Friday?”

“I wasn’t planning too, it seems more business focused than anything else, are you going?” Rhodey replies, looking over at Peter.

He nods, “Yeah, I’m going. I’m worried about not knowing anyone though.” Peter admits.

Rhodey smiles, “If you’re going Peter, I’ll go too. We can keep each other company.”

Peter lights up. “Really Mr Rhodey? That’s so kind of you!”

“Wow, I’m literally your soulmate, and at the first opportunity, you replace me as your favourite.” Tony says, drawing their attention to him. “I’m still cooler than Rhodey.”

Peter laughs, and Rhodey sends Tony a knowing smirk.

“Anyway, did you want to finish The Two Towers?” Tony says, wiping his hands on a tea towel, changing the conversation quickly. 

Peter finishes his last slice, taking his plate to the sink, and quickly washing his hands. “Yeah, sounds good. Do you want to join us Mr Rhodey?”

“No, Rhodey has to go now.” Tony answers for him, walking over to Peter, putting an arm around him.

“Unfortunately, it’s true kid.” Rhodey says, “I’ll see you on Friday.”

“See you later Rhodey,” Tony says, as Peter waves goodbye.

They watch as Rhodey walk to the elevator, with the assistance of his leg braces, grabbing a slice of pizza as he goes.

“Come on, let’s enter the blanket pile.” Tony leads Peter over, and they take their previous position. Tony sits down, and Peter curls up next to him. Peter’s head rests on Tony’s shoulder, and he wraps his arm around Peter, pulling him closer.

Tony uses his other hand to bring the blankets around them, only using 1 this time, before FRIDAY resumes the film.

They settle down, Peter quickly falling asleep. Again.

“God, this kid can’t stay awake to watch a movie, can he?” Tony mutters out loud, to himself and FRIDAY.

“No Boss, 84% of the time Peter watches a film, he falls asleep.” FRIDAY reports, almost sounding amused.

Tony chuckles, and lets him sleep, as he watches the end of the film. Well, honestly, he watches Peter sleep, more than the film. He looks so calm, and peaceful. The last few days have been, draining for him. He lost his aunt, and it has left him devastated, but despite this, he hasn’t let it change him.

He hasn’t let out his frustration of anger on anyone, much like Tony did when he learnt his mum had died. He hasn’t shut anyone out. He lets people sympathise with him, even though nobody has lost as much as him, nobody else understands the pain of losing 4 parents.

He’s an amazing person, and Tony is lucky enough to be his soulmate. 

Tony feels a happiness spread through his chest at the thought. Soulmate. He looks down at his kid, and kisses his hair. Leaving his head there for a second, content to be as close as he can to Peter. He closes his eyes, and lightly grabs Peter’s hand, stroking the back of it softly. He moves his hand up to play with Peter’s wrist, relishing the steady pulse he feels.

He sighs as the credits roll on screen, knowing he should move Peter to a bed. He actives his Nanotech, so he can lift Peter, and carry him to his room. He stands up, gently cradling Peter, and carefully walks to his bedroom, FRIDAY opening the door for them, as he approaches.

He places Peter on his bed, and the armour retreats. He hears mumbling, and looks down at Peter.

“No, I want to brush my teeth…” Peter says blearily, waving his hand tiredly at Tony.

Tony laughs lightly, “You’re awake, and you let me carry you? You’re a little shit, you know that.”

Peter smiles, and slowly fumbles his way towards his en-suite. He keeps his eyes squinted, and blearily looks around for his tooth brush. Tony watches him brush his teeth, his actions slow but methodical.

“I’ll see you in the morning, underoos.” Tony says quietly, not wanting to disturb Peter’s peace. He gently closes his door behind him, and goes to his own room, located right next to Peter’s room.

He firstly goes to the bathroom, using the toilet, before washing his hands, and brushing his teeth. He swirls around his mouthwash, before going back into his bedroom. He picks out some grey pyjama’s, and changes his bottoms quickly; discarding his dirty clothes into the basket.

He pauses changing his top, and looks in the mirror. He turns around, stretching slightly to look at his back. He can see part of the spider, a few of the legs creeping onto his side. He smiles, before slipping on his grey t-shirt.

He starts climbing into bed, when the door slowly opens. Unsurprisingly, Peter pokes his head around, also changed into pyjama shorts, and a baggy long-sleeved top.

Tony doesn’t say anything, but moves over, leaving space for him. Peter shuts the door, and slips into the bed. He lies down on the edge of the bed, hesitant to initiate the contact. Tony holds his hand, and slowly pulls him over. Peter shuffles further onto the bed, and holds Tony’s hand with both of his, facing him on his side. Tony lies on his back, with his head tilted towards Peter, and they quickly fall asleep.

 

The next day is similar, they finish the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter as always, taking a little nap. Tony remembers each meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and messages Rhodey about his success. They spend a couple of hours in the lab, brainstorming ideas and beginning work on the separate AI. They fall asleep together, much like the previous night, back in Tony’s bed. Then, it’s the day of the Gala.

 

Peter wakes up in the morning, rolling over to look at Tony. Neither of them are morning people. Tony’s cracks his eyes slightly open, sleepily reaching over to ruffle Peter’s hair. He pulls Peter closer, and tucks him under his chin.

“So…” Tony mumbles out, “we’re staying in bed all day, right?” 

Peter laughs a little, turning to rest his chin on Tony’s stomach, looking up at him. “We have the Gala later, and I don’t have a suit.” Peter mentions, although, making no effort to move.

Tony sighs, “Well, that is easily solved. But, requires getting up.”

They stay in bed for 5 more minutes, Peter on the verge of falling back to sleep. Tony was content, just playing with his hair.

“Boss, Rhodey has arrived and is asking for Peter.” FRIDAY reports.

Tony pulls the duvet over him and Peter, hiding the kid underneath it. “No, FRIDAY. Tell him we’re out.”

“He’s coming in.” FRIDAY answers, just as the door opens.

Rhodey walks over to them, vaguely recognising Peter’s form under the duvet. “Tony, don’t tell me you’re hiding Peter. You’re being a bad influence for him.”

“No, I haven’t seen Peter all day. He must be in the lab or workshop. Check there.” Tony says, fully waking up, and able to focus on Rhodey’s unimpressed stare.

Rhodey rolls his eyes, and suddenly, rips the duvet of the bed, revealing Peter laying on Tony.

“Nooooo…” Peter moans at the cold, and tries to pull Tony’s arms around him for warmth. Rhodey looks at the scene for a moment, smiling at the duo, before encouraging the out again.

“Come on, the kid needs a suit, and I want some lunch.” Rhodey says, and tries to pull Peter off Tony. Peter, uses his natural grippiness to stick to Tony. “God, you have a strong grip.”

Peter reluctantly releases Tony, and rolls out of bed. Tony moans.

“Rhodey, give me my kid.”

Rhodey shakes his head, and slowly leads Peter out the room. “Tony, is 11.:30, Peter’s going to get dressed, and then I’m taking him out for lunch.” He smirks at Tony getting out of bed himself, at hearing this. “And you’re welcome to join us, if you ready.”

He shuts the door, and faintly hears Tony walking to his bathroom.

“Come on Pete, go get ready, and then we’re going for lunch.” Rhodey claps his back, slowly pushing him towards his room.

“Okay Mr Rhodey.” Peter says through a yawn, going into his room.

Rhodey let’s them get ready, and waits in the main penthouse room. He prepares Tony’s coffee, not wanting to deal with a grumpy billionaire all day, and walks over to the adjoining living space. He flops onto the sofa, and waits for 20 minutes.

Tony, surprisingly walks in first, heading straight to the coffee, downing it immediately. He dumps his mug into the sink, and sits next to Rhodey.

“How are the legs doing?” Tony asks, resting his own on the coffee table.

Rhodey stretches out his legs, with the braces. “They’re Perfect, and getting easier to use everyday.”

Tony nods, pleased, and soon Peter joins them. “Sorry for making you wait, Mr Rhodey. I’m ready to go.” 

“No worries. Let’s get going then, lunch first.” Rhodey says, walking towards the elevator with Peter and Tony.

FRIDAY takes them down to the garage, and, as Rhodey’s driving, he chooses a relatively basic Audi. The car still screams expensive though.

The drive takes a few minutes, before Rhodey pulls into a carpark, attached to a relatively quiet restaurant.

Rhodey walks up to the waiter, once they enter the building, and they’re quickly led to a table, next to a window. Peter is reading the menu over Tony’s shoulder, sitting on the chair next to Tony, and opposite Rhodey.

“What do you want, Kiddo?” Tony asks, “I’d highly recommend any of the pasta dishes here.”

Peter nods, listening to his advice, and reads all the pasta options.

“Oo, meatballs, they sound good.” Peter says, pointing to the meatballs. 

Tony nods, “Yep, had them before, good choice.”

Rhodey settles on a pizza, and Tony chooses a spaghetti dish. They order when the waiter asks, and he arrives with their drinks, all ordering Coca-Cola.

Peter uses his straw, mindlessly looking out the window as he sips his drink. Rhodey and Tony forgo the straw, drinking from the glass, and talk about anything that comes to mind.

They wait for a while, before their foods arrives, showing that it’s been prepared freshly. Tony has to nudge Peter, to get him to stop looking out the window, and to eat his food.

“What’s on your mind Kid?” Tony asks, starting to eat his meal.

Peter eats a few mouthfuls of his, before answering. “Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate everything.” He starts, “But, Aunt May was so excited to take me shopping for a suit. Ben used to say I would look best in grey, and Aunt May would scold him and argue for blue.” He lets out a chuckle.

Tony rubs his arm, pulling him in for a side hug.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think that this would be hard for you.” Rhodey says, truly apologetic.

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I’d have to get one at some point.” Peter smiles, as he wore one of Tony’s old black suits for the funeral, so he didn’t have this issue then.

They finish their food quickly, as they all were hungry, whilst changing the conversation to distract Peter. Rhodey waves the waiter over, and asks for the bill.

“I can pay Rhodey, remember, I’m a billionaire.” Tony says.

“I know, everyone does,” Rhodey replies, “But still, I can buy you lunch on occasion.”

Rhodey pays, and they get back in the car, driving to an expensive suit store. As they walk in, Peter slowly tries to hide behind Tony, uncomfortable with how expensive everything is.

He slowly grabs Tony’s sleeve, trying to discreetly pull him back out the door. Tony moves his arm, and holds Peter’s hand instead.

“Don’t worry kid, you’re alright.” He reassures him, squeezing his hand, as they approach the desk.

“We want a suit, ready today, fitted to my kid.” Tony says, getting straight to the point. The lady waves over another worker, and the man, approaches them.

“Allow me to take your measurements, sir.” He says to Peter, and Tony ushers Peter to follow the man.

Peter stands there, as the man measures him. He tries on different items of clothing given to him, even shoes, which he didn’t think were part of a suit.

“The shoes need to compliment the rest of the outfit, it would be uncivilised to wear old, unfitting shoes with a suit.” The man says, as Peter voices his thoughts.

They finally select the correct cut and style. A slim blazer, which hangs open, showing the shirt and tie underneath. Slim trousers, although comfortably fitting and allow movement. Simple shoes that match with the rest of the suit.

“So, do you have a colour preference?” He asks, and Peter now realises he doesn’t know his name. It’s too late to ask though.

“Uh, no.” Peter admits, not having thought about the colour.

The man actually sighs in relief, “Good. Normally people come in requesting a colour incompatible with their skin tone or the event.” He brings in a few colour options, small examples on squares of fabric.

“So, why are you wearing this suit?” He asks, laying out the squares on a small table.

“Well, I think it’s for a friend’s birthday.” Peter explains, “It’s a Gala, but I’m not going for business. Just to celebrate my friend.”

The man contemplates this, “Male, female or a different gender? How old are they?”

“Oh, she’s female.” Peter answers, not realising how much thought went into choosing a suit. “And, she’s my mentor’s fiancée, so I think she’s in her 40’s?”

The man nods, before holding up a maroon. “Do you like this colour?”

Peter looks at the red, not liking how much he would stand out. “It’s nice, but…”

The man quickly shakes his head, “Actually no, I don’t know what I was thinking. This red with your brown hair. I’m an idiot.” He mutters to himself, before picking up a navy.

“This would look lovely with your hair, and it would contrast a white shirt nicely.” He assesses, “Opinion?”

Peter looks at the blue, and prefers it to the red. “Yeah, it’s better than the red.”

The man then walks out, bringing in a suit seconds later. It’s the same material and colour of the fabric, with matching trousers, a white shirt and a navy tie. The chosen black shoes are already in with them.

“Here we go, try this on.” The says, placing the hangers on the wall. “Come out when you’re ready.”

Peter quickly puts on his outfit, wiping his eyes when remembers May helping him learn how to tie a tie.

He slips on the shoes, then looks at himself in the mirror. Peter has to admit, it looks pretty good. Although, it emphasises how messy and curly his hair is, he attempts to flatten it. Nothing changes.

He steps out the changing room, and the man is talking with Tony and Rhodey.

“Uh, so. It fits?” He says, as he approaches them. He looks straight at Tony for his approval, knowing his soulmate wouldn’t lie about the look.

Tony claps his hands together, going over to Peter immediately, as Rhodey lets out a low whistle.

“Looking sharp kid,” Rhodey says, and Tony begins retying the tie.

“How does it feel, is it comfy? Do you like the colour?” Tony starts asking, stepping back once he finished with Peter’s tie. Peter moves his arms around, with unrestricted movement.

“It’s good,” Peter nods, and follows Tony as he makes Peter walk around. 

“How about the shoes?”

“Yes,” Peter laughs, amused at how pedantic Tony’s being. “They’re good as well.”

The man goes over to them, and nods his approval. “I’m happy with this, you can go change now.”

Peter happily goes back into the changing room, tired after the rigorous selection process. He quickly changes. He brings the suit back out, now in his own clothes, as Tony finishes the payment.

The man rushes around the counter, and scoops the suit out of Peter’s hands, slipping it into a protective bag.

“Thank you,” Peter says to the man, who finally looks relaxed. The man looks surprised that he’s being thanked, and he accepts it graciously.

“You’re welcome.”

Rhodey pushes Peter towards the door. “Come on, let’s get back.” Tony takes the bag from the man, and the shoes in a box, and follows them to the car. They get back to the penthouse, and they flop onto the sofa.

“Well, that was more intense than I thought it would be.” Peter admits, looking over at Tony.

“It always is, I’m still not used to them.” Rhodey answers, “Anyway, you have a little time before the Gala. I would relax if I were you.”

“You not staying Rhodey?” Tony asks, as Rhodey slowly pushes himself of the couch.

“No, I got a few things left to do.” He says, walking back to the elevator.

Peter peers over the back of the couch, “Thank you Mr Rhodey,” He says, waving him goodbye. Rhodey returns his wave, as the doors close.

“Workshop?” Tony asks.  
Peter laughs, “Workshop.” They go to the workshop, and quickly resume working, in their usual system.

They work for a couple of hours, uninterrupted, until Pepper relays a message through FRIDAY.

“Boss, Pepper wants to remind you, that the Gala starts in an hour. It’s takes 40 minutes to get to the location from here.” FRIDAY says, and Tony reluctantly waves away the monitor he was working on. Peter looks up, almost like he forgot about the event.

“Oh shoot, I wanted a shower before we went.” Peter says, spinning to the Tony.

Tony looks down at himself, “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Peter laughs, and follows Tony over to the elevator, FRIDAY taking them up to the penthouse.

Tony grabs the new suit, still in the bag, and passes it to Peter.

“I’ll help you with your tie, don’t worry about that.” Tony teases, causing Peter to blush slightly.

“I can do it.” He mumbles, trying to look annoyed. It doesn’t work.

“55 minutes.” FRIDAY says, counting down. They both jump, and leap into action. Rushing towards their own rooms.

After his shower, Peter throws a towel on his head. He pulls on his clothes, making sure to wear his Star Wars, specifically R2D2, socks. He leaves his room, shrugging on his blazer, with his tie loosely hanging around his neck. His shirt is buttoned half way up, so his soulmate mark is visible.

He rushes over to his shoes, and pulls them on. Then, he feels someone rub his hair with the towel, and it’s Tony, who is completely ready. Showered, dressed, even with sunglasses. Peter ties his shoes and stand up. Tony looks at Peter’s mark, the circle imitating an arc reactor on his chest. He smiles, and rubs his soulmates cheek affectionately.

“40 minutes.”

“Ahh, we should be leaving now!” Peter rushes out, he buttons up the rest of his shirt, and attempts to tie his tie.

Tony laughs, and slowly removes Peter’s hands. He undoes what little progress Peter made, and starts again.

“Don’t worry, I’m always fashionable late.” He says, chuckling when he notices Peter peering at him, from under the towel. “We still have plenty of time.”

Peter looks down at his tie once it’s finished, as Tony makes sure it’s sitting under his collar.

“Looking good, Buddy.” He says, rubbing his hair once more. He grabs the towel off Peter’s head, tossing it on the edge of the couch. “Okay, you ready to go?”

Peter checks his pocket, and feels his phone in there. Also, he has the card he made for Pepper, as it’s her birthday on Sunday, and he doesn’t know if he’ll see her; she’s always so busy. He nods, and Tony then leads them to the elevator, and down to the main floor, where Happy is waiting for them.

He opens the car door when they approach, and Peter climbs in first, Tony following. Happy shuts the door, and walks around to the driver’s seat.

“How are you doing Kid?” Happy asks, looking at Peter through the mirror.

Peter nods, “Yeah, I’m pretty good. Considering.” He answers honestly.

Happy turns on Tony’s playlist, and it quietly fills the car. The traffic is surprisingly light, for a Friday evening, and they arrive at the Gala only a few minutes late. As expected, the media and paparazzi line up around the entrance, getting pictures of all the business men and women attending. Everyone quickly notices the familiar Stark car, and turn their attention to them, anxiously waiting the arrival of Tony Stark.

Tony turns to Peter, looking him in the eye. “You can still bail, Happy can take you home. It’s not to late. I can go in there, and find Rhodey and ask him to go with you if you want company.”

Peter takes a deep breath, but his decision is made.

“I’m good,” He says, trying to convince himself and Tony. “I don’t want you to leave, so I’m coming.”

Tony nods, pulling him in for a hug. “That’s fine, I’ll try and keep and eye on you all night.” 

He let’s go of Peter, catching his eye again, as he softly cups his cheek. “If you want to go at any point, don’t hesitate to tell me. Rhodey or Happy can take you home, you can go whenever.”

Happy’s waiting outside their door, and Tony takes a deep breath, smiling at Peter reassuringly.

He taps the window, and Happy opens the door.

Tony gets out, waving at the cameras, and helps Peter out the car. Happy shuts the door, getting back into the driver’s seat, to park. The cameras pause for a second, as people contemplate Peter, before the intense flashes of the cameras begin. Reports waving their recording devices shout over each other, trying to ask who Peter is.

Peter holds Tony’s hand nervously, as they walk up to the building. He tries to keep his face impassive, as Tony leads him expertly through the people.

“Good job kid, we’re almost inside.” Tony mutters, and pushes Peter through the door quickly.

Peter looks around, taking in the impressive room. It’s huge, and filled with people. Fancy chandeliers hang above everyone, making the high ceiling seem even further away. Guests fill the room, most people talking, and laughing, everyone with drinks in their hands.

Peter feels Tony push him further in, guiding him across the room. He sees Pepper, talking with people he’s never met, and she turns, noticing them. She smiles brightly, excusing herself from her conversation, before walking towards them.

“Peter, it’s wonderful that you’re here. You look so handsome! How are you doing, lovely?” She asks, pulling him into a hug. Peter melts into the hug, relieved to see her.

“I’m good, I wanted to say Happy Birthday. I know this is more businessy, but it’s your birthday too.” Peter says, taking out the card he made. It’s a simple design, Peter just drew a little birthday cake, and scribbled ‘Happy Birthday Pepper’ on the front. Inside he simply wrote, ‘Dear Miss Potts, Thank you for all you help, Happy Birthday, From Peter Parker.

As Pepper read it her eyes widen, and she pulls Peter in for another hug. “Thank you so much, Peter.”

“Okay, stop giving him all the hugs.” Tony laughs, and gives Pepper a hug, accompanied with a kiss on the cheek.

Pepper puts her card in her purse, and looks back at Tony. “I need to introduce you to some people, be polite, complement them. They’re a rival tech company, so don’t laugh at them.” She says sternly, and Tony laughs, finally, taking off his sunglasses.

“Of course, I’m never rude. Peter, I can’t see Rhodey yet, so stay with me.” Tony says, and follows Pepper back through the crowd, to the people she was previously talking too.

Peter tunes out their conversation, standing behind Tony, taking in his surroundings again. He notices people looking at him, and, with his enhanced hearing, listens to them accidently.

“Who is that hanging around Tony Stark?”

“Is that a kid, what right does he have to be here?”

“Tony Stark doesn’t need to be babysitting.”

Peter pulls out his phone, turning to face Tony’s back, attempting to hide. He scrolls through twitter, ignoring the stares he can feel. A hand lands on his shoulder, and he jumps slightly, before relaxing when he notices it’s Rhodey.

“Hey, you want to go get some food?” Rhodey asks, and Peter nods. Rhodey taps Tony on the shoulder, “I’ve got the kid, don’t embarrass yourself.”

Tony spins around, clapping Peter on the shoulder. “See you later kiddo.”

Rhodey starts walking towards a table at the side, Peter following close behind. Rhodey grabs a small plate, and hands it to Peter, before grabbing his own.

“Well, Pepper knows how to organise a party, doesn’t she.” Rhodey says, grabbing a variety of foods.

“Yeah, it is quite the party.” Peter agrees, “Do you know many people here?”

Rhodey looks around, shaking his head. “No, only a few people I recognise. Don’t ask me there names though, they’re all basically the same.” Peter laughs a little. Rhodey leads them to a sofa, near the edge of the room, and they sit down, and eat.

The music is repetitive, boring Peter a little.

“God, the music isn’t great is it?” Peter comments, handing his empty plate to a waitress who offers to take it when he finished.

Rhodey chuckles, “That’s because it’s music us old people, think youths like, so we seem more current and young. No one here wants to admit they don’t like the music, because they all want to be trendy. Everything’s about business Peter.”

Peter shakes his head, and watches Happy push through the crowd to them.

“Hello Happy.” Peter greets, as he joins them on the couch. He grunts out a hello, unhappy that he’s here and can’t drink. Rhodey initiates a conversation with Happy, and Peter starts looking around for the bathroom. It’s on the other side of the hall, down a corridor.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Peter says, excusing himself from Rhodey and Happy. He starts to slowly move his way through the crowd, not wanting to push past people, or talk to them. He slips between the guests, finding small gaps and fitting through them.

Someone taps his shoulder, and he’s greeted with a man.

“I saw you enter with Tony Stark earlier, who are you?” He asks, louder than necessary.

“Oh, I’m just, his intern. Don’t mind me.” Peter replies, not wanting to talk to him any longer. His spider sense has been buzzing quietly since he arrived, and this man isn’t helping.

“An intern, I’ve been looking for one myself.” The man says, downing the rest of his drink.

Peter nods politely, as he continues talking, “I haven’t found anyone clever enough yet. However, if Tony Stark has recruited you, you must be intelligent.”

Peter tries to shuffle away, “How much do you get paid?” He asks, and Peter’s eye widen at this.

“Oh, I just want the experience,” Peter stutters out, as he would never accept money from Tony.

“So, you don’t get paid? Tony Stark, doesn’t pay his interns, unbelievable.” He says, scoffing. “If you come and work with me, I can pay you. You can tell me all the dirt on Stark as well, you must know him pretty well.”

Peter shakes his head quickly, “No, Tony’s great. He’s really nice.”

“God, you’re so naïve kid. You have no idea what Tony’s like, he’s selfish, but admittedly a genius.” He man huffs, “Just, run back to your parents kid. You don’t want to be around him, you’re probably just holding him back. Your around because he wants better presence in the media. God knows he needs it.”

Peter knows it’s not true, but the parent comment stung.

“Why are you even here? Do you know your parents are hanging around Tony Stark?” He continues on, clearly way to drunk to even realise what he’s saying. “He’s just gonna leave you, like he does with everyone else.”

Peter blocks out what he’s hearing, and just walks away. Focusing on getting to the bathroom, until he starts picking up other people’s conversations with his enhanced hearing.

“Look, Tony Stark left him as soon as they came in.”

“Tony’s gonna abandon this kid.”

Peter was fine, he could take insults to him. He could ignore insults about Tony, they didn’t bother Tony so Peter bit his tongue.

“I don’t think that kid should get too close to Tony, he’s can’t live for much longer.”

“Stark’s constantly being shot at, one of these days, it’s gonna hit.”

“He can’t be responsible for a kid, even if he’s just an intern or something.”

“He’s dancing with death. It’ll catch up to him eventually.”

“Tony Stark is going to die.”

Tony dying, is not something that Peter can cope with. He bursts into the bathroom, breathing heavily. He looks around, desperately wanting air. The window’s cracked open, so Peter pulls himself through it. Once outside, in a dingy alleyway, he crumbles to the ground covering his ears.

The voices aren’t real anymore, but it doesn’t matter. It feels real.

“Tony Stark is going to die.”

“Tony Stark is going to die.”

“Tony Stark is going to die.”

Everyone Peter loves dies, it’s fact. The statistics don’t lie. His mother, his father, his uncle, his aunt. He doesn’t want Tony to be next. God, he doesn’t want Tony to die.

Peter whimpers, bringing his knees to his chest. His vision is blurry, but he can’t decide whether it’s from his tears, or lack of oxygen. He rips his tie off, tossing it to the other side of the alley. He feels incredibly warm and claustrophobic, still hearing the laughter and music from inside. He pulls himself up, and starts walking away. He needs to get away from the building.

 

Tony excuses himself from the crowd, suddenly feeling panicked. He pushes down his anxiety, looking around. The panic builds up quickly, and he can’t ignore it. He just has a feeling he needs to be with Peter.

He looks around, spotting Rhodey and Happy, but no Peter. He pushes through the crowd, not caring who he shoves.

He gets closer to them, asking them immediately. “Where’s Peter, where’s my kid?”

“Calm down, he went to the bathroom.” Happy replies, and Tony instantly turns towards the bathroom. He curses Pepper for choosing such a large venue, and just before the bathroom, he passes an overly drunk guy.

“Tony Stark, looking for his ‘intern’ I bet.” He snickers, and Tony glares at him.

“You better not have said anything to my kid.”

The guy laughs, and shrugs. “Just told him the truth. It’s what everyone’s thinking.”

Tony stares at him, and he continues to talk. “Told him to go back to his parents, cos you’ll abandon him when you’re done with him.”

Tony wants to murder him, he is seconds away from engaging his Nanotech, and blasting this guy into pieces. But a wave of anxiety flows again, and his instincts scream at him to find Peter.

He leaves the man, checking the bathroom immediately. It’s empty, the only thing notable in the bathroom is the open window. A perfect Peter-sized gap.

“Shit.” He mutters, before leaving the bathroom, and heading towards the doors immediately. He barges out, ignoring the remaining press.

He jogs over to the alleyway, where the window leads, and sees Peter’s tie on the floor. He picks it up, putting it in his pocket.

Now, his anxiety is his own. He deduces his previous outburst was Peter’s, that he felt through their soulmate connection.

He engages his suit immediately, and flies into the air.

“FRIDAY, scan the area for Peter, do everything you can to find where Peter is.” He stammers out. He weaves through the buildings, pleading he finds Peter.

“I cannot locate Peter.” FRIDAY reports, “With the limited connection to Karen, I can deduce that Peter is having a panic attack, which is setting off his spider sense. He is unintentionally hiding from security cameras, due to this. His spider sense will try and protect him and his identity, it will be difficult to track him with conventional methods.

This only worsens Tony’s panic.

“Call Peter, FRIDAY, call him now.” Tony asks, listening to the phone ring. No answer.

“Shit, okay. FRIDAY, keep trying to call him in the background.” Tony requests, and takes a deep breath. He lands on a roof, and disengages his armour.

He closes his eyes, trying to focus on Peter. He feels Peter’s panic, and ignores it, trying to use their soulmate connection to find him. His eyes snap open, and he turns to look at a nearby park. His suit instantly forms, and he flies towards it.

“FRIDAY scan the park.” He says.

“You found him, Peter is on the bench.” She reports, zooming in the footage. Tony lands seconds later. The suit, again, melts from around him, and he rushes over to Peter.

“Kid,” He sighs, and Peter looks up. His eyes are red, and his cheeks are teary. “Peter, it’s okay buddy. I’m here.”

Tony grabs Peter from the bench, pulling him into a hug. Peter starts crying all over again.

“Everyone was… just s-saying...” Peter stutters out, burying his face in Tony’s chest. “I-I could hear… everything.”

“Shhh… it’s okay Peter, you’re alright.” Tony says, rolling beginning to transfer his weight from foot to foot, slowly rocking them both.

“Please don’t leave me. Don’t go.” Peter cries, desperately clutching Tony’s blazer. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Peter slowly begins to fall to the ground, and Tony follows him down. They sit together for several minutes, Peter finally regaining his breath. Tony rests his head on Peter’s, pressing light kisses to his hair.

“You want to go home?” Tony whispers, he feels Peter nod, and he starts to stand. The Nanotech reactivates, and he lifts Peter up. He adjusts his grip, holding onto Tony tightly, as Tony quickly flies them home.

“FRIDAY, tell Happy we’ve gone.” Tony asks, already seeing the silhouette of the tower in the distance. “Almost there Pete.”

Peter peeks from Tony’s chest to look at the tower, and he visibly sighs in relief. They arrive on the balcony several minutes later, the flight back was much quicker than the car. Tony immediately going into his bedroom. He has a spare tooth brush for Peter in his room, because Peter uses it frequently, so he gently pushes Peter towards it.

“Go on kid,” He says, the armour dissipates and he quickly changes into his pyjamas. He grabs a clean pair of his pyjamas, and gives them to Peter once he enters the bedroom.

Tony brushes his teeth, whilst Peter changes. Peter climbs into bed, watching the en suite door to open. Tony goes through, smiling at Peter watching him, and slips into bed. Peter latches onto him instantly.

“I’m here kid, I promise I’m not going to leave you anytime soon.” Tony mumbles.

Peter yawns, “That’s good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll admit, I spent way too long on the suit scene. But, for some reason, it was really fun to write. Don’t judge me. 
> 
> Also, I cannot describe a panic attack, so I'm sorry if that scene was rushed, but I struggled with it a bit. And I briefly edited this, but I plan to reread it later, so hopefully I'll catch any mistakes then.
> 
> As well, it is sooo hard, to keep the soulmate aspect relevant! I promise I’ll try to focus on it more in the future, but damn, it is difficult…
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter returns to school on Monday, not even a week after his aunt’s funeral. It introduces normalcy again, fitting back into the old routine. There are some slight differences though.

“Hey Parker,” Flash says, walking alongside Peter as he goes to his locker. “I heard about what happened with your aunt. I just want to say, I’m sorry.”

That was different from usual, but Peter was relieved to not have to deal with Flash’s insults. For this week, at least.

He received sympathetic looks from students, teachers would give him encouraging pats on the back. People treat him differently, like he’s about to explode into tears at any moment. It’s annoying, but he can deal with it.

“Mr Parker, I’m surprised to see you in school so soon. It’s great that you’re taking your education so seriously.” Principal Morita says, calling him across the hallway. Peter walks towards him, although, he really just wants the day to be over already, and get to class quickly.

“Yeah, well, we only have 2 weeks left till the term ends.” Peter shrugs, “So I thought I should try to come in.”

The principal nods understandingly, “Still, you’ve really changed since homecoming, when you’d just disappear on class trips and lessons.” Some students rush in, talking loudly, getting the principals attention. “Excuse me Peter,” He says, and starts shouting down the hall, letting Peter slip away.

He walks straight into his form room, Ned already sat in their usual seats.

“Hey Peter, so, I found this new theory that Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are in the same universe.” Ned immediately starts, leaning over to show Peter his phone once he sat down.

Peter smiles, pleased to be talking with his friend as normal, as Ned rambles on about the evidence. His phones buzzes from his pocket, and he pulls it out, looking at the notification. It’s a little message from Tony.

‘Have a good day kid, remember you can come back at anytime.’

Peter laughs quietly, Tony’s more upset that Peter’s back in school, than he is.

‘I’ll be fine, chill.’

Tony replies immediately.

‘I’m always chill.’

The teacher enters, so Peter puts slips his phone back in his pocket. He nudges Ned in the arm, causing him to put his phone away as well.

Peter’s fine through the first few lessons, although, his mind often drifted. It was getting difficult to focus on the teachers, he couldn’t keep up with Ned’s rambling. He was jittery, and his spider-sense wasn’t helping. Lunch arrives, and Peter is so relieved, he can’t stay in school any longer.

“I’m buying today, I forgot my lunch.” Ned says, heading towards the cafeteria.

Peter hangs back, pointing in the other direction. “I’m just going to go for a minute, I’ll meet you there.”

Ned looks confused, before his eyes widen. “Do you have to go, is it Spiderman? Do you need a distraction?”

Peter shakes his head, pulling out his phone. “No, nothing like that. Just want to make a phone call.”

“Okay, I’ll be sat with MJ, see you in a minute dude.”

Peter nods, and starts walking quickly, heading outside. As soon as the door opens, he unlocks his phone, and scrolls down to Tony’s contact, pressing it immediately. Tony answers instantly.

“Hey kiddo, you alright?” He says, and Peter lets out a sigh, smiling at his soulmates voice.

“Yeah,” He walks down a few of the steps, sitting down near the middle. “Could you just talk, please?”

Tony starts talking about his day, without question. Peter finally feels his focus coming back, as he listens to Tony’s morning. His spidey-sense is calming down, and his heartrate lowers to his usual level.

“and FRIDAY thought that ‘testing the AI’ meant putting it in Dum-E, so he was going crazy with power. It was unsettling, to say the least.” Peter laughs, just imagining the chaos that was made. Tony’s story dies down, and they sit in a comfortable silence for a moment.

“So…” Tony says, and Peter braces himself for the question, “Why did you actually call me?”

Peter pauses for a minute, trying to form his sentence, without sounding childish. “I just, needed to hear your voice. Make sure you’re okay.” He admits, “I’m sorry if I interrupted anything. If you need to go, that’s fine.”

“Don’t worry,” Tony assures him, “I felt it too.”

“Did you really?” Peter asks, hoping he wasn’t by himself, feeling lost.

“The weird indescribable emptiness, the loss of focus, an almost numb coldness?” Tony adds, “Yeah, I understand.”

Peter sighs in relief, clutching his phone desperately. “I don’t know if I can finish the day, I’m fighting myself to stay in the building. I’m not focusing at all.”

“Take a breath kid. If you’re really unsure, I can come and pick you up, and you can try again tomorrow.” Tony offers, and Peter admits to himself, he just wants to go home.

He nods before answering, “Please.”

“That’s a relief.” Tony says, just before Peter notices a car pulling up. The window is down, and Tony smiles with a guilty little wave. Peter laughs, and hangs up the call, running over to Tony. Tony steps out the car, and opens his arms to hug Peter.

“Let’s go sign you out, I’m not that irresponsible.” Tony mutters, dragging Peter back up the stairs, into reception. He signs Peter out, without any trouble – seeing as no one expected him in today anyway – and they go back to the car.

Tony immediately pulls away, and Peter relaxes against the seat. They drive in silence for a few minutes, before a phone calls beeps from the car. Tony looks at the screen, seeing Rhodey’s contact, so he answers.

“Hello, you’ve reached the voicemail of Tony Stark, please-“ Tony answers, but gets interrupted by Rhodey.

“Tony, I know you’re there, we have a slight issue.” He says, and Tony chuckles tensely.

“There’s always a slight issue, you do know who you’re talking to, right?”

Rhodey continues, not wanting to deal with Tony’s sarcasm. “Ross. And the rogue avengers.”

Peter looks at Tony in confusion, with Tony returning the look. “Yes, we’ve known they’ve been a problem for a while. Why are you specifically calling me about them?”

“They’re here, at the compound. You need to come over, now.” Rhodey says, hanging up the phone.

Tony immediately puts his foot down, leaving the city as quickly as he can.

“I thought the rogue avengers went into hiding after Thanos?” Peter asks.

“They did, but Rogers now understands that we need to keep the team together, incase a threat like Thanos occurs again.” Tony briefly explains, “Ross, though, still wants complete control over us.”

“I thought you agreed with the accords?”

“I agreed we should be responsible for our actions, but Ross isn’t suitable leader.” Tony sighs, “and because signing it was the only legal option.”

Peter shifts nervously, he hasn’t officially met the avengers, and none of them know his identity. Only Tony, Rhodey, Doctor Strange, Vision, Pepper, Happy, Ned and the Guardians know who Spiderman is under the mask. That’s actually, quite a long list already, Peter thinks.

“It’s okay kid, you can choose if you want to reveal your identity.” Tony says, feeling his nervousness grow, “Or you can walk in as Peter Parker or Spiderman,”

Peter nods, and Tony turns on the music. The drive up to the compound takes 30 minutes, even with Tony speeding at every opportunity. They pull up outside the building, and get out quickly. 

Peter activates his suit, and is encased in his Nanotech armour. It will be easier to put his opinion, on the accords, forward as Spiderman rather than Peter.

Tony waits outside for a second, “You ready kid, I have no idea what mess we’re walking into.”

Peter nods, “Yeah, sure. We’re superheroes, we can deal with a friendly discussion about politics.”

Tony laughs, and Peter doesn’t take that as a good sign. They enter.

The lobby is empty, but Peter can already hear the yelling and raised voices several rooms away.

“FRIDAY, where are we needed?” Tony asks his AI.

“Conference room 1.”

They start walking down the corridor, the voices getting louder as they do. Peter jumps onto the ceiling, and Tony walks in, smirking as Peter climbs in unnoticed.

“Stark, You had better begin explaining-“ Ross immediately shouts. He’s standing at the head of the table, with the rogue avengers standing on the sides. Rhodey is the only sitting, he’s next to Sam, on one of the sides.

“He doesn’t need to explain anything, he had an open invitation for us to discuss the accords further.” Steve says, not quite shouting, but on the verge. It’s clear this argument has been going on for a while.

Tony goes to sit in the seat, in front of the door, looking down the table, opposite Ross. They quieten down, waiting for Tony’s input.

“Please, don’t let my presence interrupt your little chitchat.” He says, bringing out his tablet, and mindlessly taps on it. Peter, still on the ceiling, knew he’d be spotted quickly, so leaps onto the table, making everyone, but Tony, jump.

“Spiderman! I should be arresting you alongside these criminals!” Ross states, as Peter sits cross-legged on the table. “If we’re even considering altering the accords, we don’t need masked vigilantes shoving in their input.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Tony says, beckoning Peter towards him with a click. Peter rolls his eyes, although not visible through the suit, but pulls a chair over and sits next to Tony.

“We’re discussing how to amend the accords, so we don’t leave earth vulnerable. Again.” Rhodey says, trying to get everyone to focus on the topic.

“Firstly, trying to regulate every hero? That’s not going to work.” Bucky says. Tony’s surprised to see him here, but supposes, his is one of the reasons the accords were created, so should be present.

“We have to have rules, otherwise certain individuals believe themselves above everyone else.” A woman from the government says, standing nearby Ross.

“Exactly,” Ross mutters, “Vigilantes who can hid in public isn’t safe.”

Peter stiffens at the comment, clearly aimed at him.

“No, that doesn’t need to be addressed.” Tony says, folding his arms. “We don’t need to know everyone’s identity. We trust people by their actions, not their name or face.”

“And this is the reason we are here, to compromise on these laws.” Rhodey sighs.

“Okay, what about this?” Steve says, getting everyone’s attention on him. “A hero’s identity, such as Spiderman, can remain private to the public, with the verification of a member of the Avengers.”

Peter nods, knowing that Tony would verify him, and looks at everyone’s reaction.

“It’s hard to trust someone with your life, when you don’t even know who they are. If we’re expected to work together, we should know how they are.” Natasha says.

“But, I’m not an avenger, officially anyway.” Peter replies, “So, you don’t need to know me.”

“This is something else we need to address then,” Steve says, “Spiderman, when the avengers get back together, we wanted to expand the team…”

Peter doesn’t need to think to know where this is going, “You want me to join you?” Tony looks surprised as well.

“You’ve proven yourself capable.” Bucky says, remembering his fight against him in the airport.

“And, we could use some more staff around here,” Clint says, speaking up for the first time.

“Nope, not at moment.” Tony says. Peter’s relieved, his wants to finish school and get a higher education before he thinks about being Spiderman full time.

“Why not? What is a higher priority than being an avenger?” Sam asks, most people nodding in agreement.

“Can’t save the world without me bird boy?” Peter quips, and Tony laughs.

“Spiderman, your suit is property of the government, we should be allowed to know your identity.” Ross says, although, that’s not technically true.

“Actually, I built it, and gave it to him as a gift.” Tony argues, and Peter briefly wonders how this discussion became so focused around him.

“This doesn’t negate the fact, that Spiderman would be an asset to the team.” Natasha replies, “If I recall correctly, he stole cap’s shield, took on a military trained avenger and an assassin trained by Hydra, and took down Scott as a giant.”

“And, I’m sure you’ve done more that we don’t know of.” Bucky adds.

Tony claps his hands together, regretting bringing the kid. “Okay, I’m done for today.”

“You can’t just postpone the meeting.” Ross says, at the same time as Clint muttering, “You’ve only just arrived.”

“I know,” Tony says, getting up. “But I’m bored.”

He gets up, and leaves the room, letting his chair spin dramatically. Peter leaps to his feet, going to follow.

“Spiderman, hang around for a bit. I want to talk to you.” Cap asks, so Peter nods hesitantly.

“I’ll be in the training room.” He replies, rushing to catch up with Tony.

“Well, this wasn’t what I had in mind when I picked you up earlier.” Tony says, as Peter joins him.

“What, coming to the compound, or saving me from being recruited as an Avenger?” He laughs. “Mr Captain America wants to talk with me.”

“Of course, the Capsicle wants to talk with you.” Tony sighs, following Peter to the training room. “Do you want to tell him who you are?”

Peter contemplates, “Do you think I should?”

“Well…” Tony says, carefully not to directly tell Peter what to do; it’s his identity after all. “I don’t trust them, but that’s personal. I know, for a fact, that they wouldn’t use your identity against you.”

“I guess, I should. They should know why I’m not a full Avenger, and eventually, they will need to trust me.”

They reach the training room, and Peter immediately starts swinging around. The room is huge. There are giant floor to ceiling windows, looking out onto the field that surrounds the compound. Large floor spaces for sparring, machines and equipment – some specifically designed for enhanced people – neatly lined up against the wall. Tony even put in some giant columns, to test Peter’s agility.

Peter’s pulling himself around, burning energy he hadn’t realised he’d built up.

Tony sits on a bench, content watching Peter fly around the room. Peter starts getting extravagant with his moves, flipping around, leaping off the ceiling and catching himself at the last second, enjoying himself. He runs along the wall, before swinging himself horizontally, almost defying gravity.

Steve walks in, and sits on the bench, the other side of the door to Tony.

Peter keeps swinging around, landing on the ceiling, and propelling himself to the ground. He spins before landing, catching himself on his legs and jumping back up. He flips around a few more minutes, and lands next to Tony, on the bench.

Peter then sees Steve, “Hey Captain, what’s up?”

Steve clears his throat, “So, I know the team want you to reveal your identity,” He starts, before rubbing his neck nervously, “But, I just want you on the team. I don’t mind that I don’t know who you are, or what you look like. You would be an asset. Besides, you almost beat me in Germany.”

“Well, this is now awkward,” Peter chuckles, “’cos I was fully preparing myself to tell you my identity.”

He looks at Tony, who gives him an encouraging nod, and slowly lifts his mask.

“Oh…” Steve says, and Peter gives him a sheepish smile.

“Hi, I’m Peter.”

“You’re, a kid? But, an actual kid, not like someone in their 20’s. How old are you son?” Steve asks, admittedly shocked.

“Well, I think I’m 17?” Peter says, no one is completely sure off their age. After everyone turned to dust, some extreme time magic ruined any continuity.

“Oh, I dropped a steel platform on a kid…” Steve mutters.

“A genetically enhanced kid, and I did throw you around a bit, as well.” Peter smirks, “Besides, you’re not the only one in the wrong, I’ve always been told to respect my elders.”

Tony bursts into laughter, clutching his stomach. “This is why I kept you around.” He says through his tears. Steve joins in, and the any tension from the reveal slips away.

“So, you don’t want him to join until he’s finished with his education?” Steve turns to Tony, once everyone’s settled down.

Tony nods, “Yeah, he needs to live his life before committing himself to being an Avenger.”

“May always wanted me to go to University, that’s where she met my Uncle.” Peter says, “So, I want to go for her, as well as myself.”

Steve nods, now understanding. “This is why you’re been worried about your identity, because you’re so young.”

“There’s a few reasons, but that’s one of them. I just want to help people, I don’t need fame or credit.”

“So, obviously, we don’t want you telling anyone, including the team. We’ll do that in our own time.” Tony says, and Peter’s pleased they’ll do it together.

Steve nods quickly, “Of course, thank you for trusting me.”

Peter smiles, and slips his mask back on. “No problem Mr Captain.”

Steve laughs, waving him off. “Steve, is more than fine.”

“Don’t bother, I’ve only just got him calling me Tony.” Tony says, “And I’ve known him for years, and I’m in the process of adopting him.”

“What?” Steve asks, sounding more surprised that Tony’s adopting Peter, rather than Spiderman being 17.

“It’s not that hard to believe, Tony’s already the best dad. We’re just making it more official.” Peter says, and Tony beams at the compliment.

Steve smiles, “Good, I’m glad to hear. Now, are there any other secrets, whilst we’re revealing everything?” He jokes, but Tony and Peter look at each other again, and shrug.

“The kid’s my soulmate.” Tony drops.

Steve raises his eyebrows in shock, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, wow. That’s something.”

“See you later Mr Captain!” Peter says, as he pulls himself back into swinging around the room, Steve still in a daze from learning they’re soulmates. Peter unlocks the window as he swings past, and slips out of it, running out into the field.

“And, he’s gone.” Tony mutters, and heads towards the door leading out onto the field to follow Peter.

“He’s a good kid, Tony. I’m pleased you have each other.” Steve says. Tony pauses, and spins around to face him. He doesn’t have any desire to talk to Steve without Peter, but he knows how to act civilised.

“I know, Captain Spangles. I know.” Tony agrees, and walks out, rolling his eyes at Peter running around the field like a 2-year-old. Except, a 2-year-old that can do flips, and crazy gymnastics.

They aren’t disturbed for the rest of the day, until dinner, which is surprising. Ross leaves without any further arguments, promising to be back within the week. Tony thinks, that perhaps he lost someone to Thanos, which is why he’s being more compliant than usual.

Tony’s ordered Chinese, enough for the everyone. Peter changed out of his suit, had a shower, and is curled up on the sofa next to Tony, eating a large plate. Tony invited everyone to join them, and they arrive together. Steve, Sam, Bucky, Natasha, Clint, Scott, Wanda, Vision – alive with the help of the Time Stone – and Rhodey. Bruce arrived after the meeting, along with Thor. So, it really is almost everyone.

“Oh, I thought Spiderman was joining us?” Clint says, and helps himself to a plate. Natasha looks at Peter critically, and seems to work it out, but doesn’t say anything.

Tony clears his throat getting everyone’s attention, looking at Peter for a final confirmation.

“That’s because,” He starts, looking at everyone. Steve smiles encouragingly. “Peter, the kid currently sat in my personal bubble,” He jokes, removing some of his worry, “Is Spiderman.”

Everyone processes the information, switching between looking confused, and looking at Peter.

“Are you sure? This kid looks, innocent to say the least.” Sam asks. Peter left his web shooters on, so shoots a web right beside Sam’s head, it landing on the cupboard. “Okay, I believe you.”

Sam grabs the string of web, and pulls. Peter rolls his eyes, and tugs it himself. Sam goes flying into the back of the couch.

“Definitely him, Spiderman’s a little shit, as is this kid.” He laughs, ruffling Peter’s hair now that he’s close enough.

“Aren’t you a little young. This is a serious line of work.” Wanda asks hesitantly, and Peter nods.

“Trust, I know. That’s why I’m revealing who I am, so you’ll understand that I want to finish school, and go to university.”

“That’s mature kid, good decision.” Bruce says, and Peter has to internally calm down that ‘the’ Bruce Banner just complimented him.

“Yes, small Avenger. School is important.” Thor states, and Peter, despite being called small, smiles.

Everyone fills their plates, and crowds on and around the large couch. ACDC plays in the background as everyone eats.

“So, Peter, I know you want to finish school. But, I think you should still train with us.” Steve says, everyone people nodding in agreement. “I want to teach you some hand-to-hand combat, you did well, but it can be improved.”

“I’ll help with that,” Natasha says.

“You need to get better at fighting in open spaces, you did great inside the airport, but you need to be just as capable without having things to constantly swing from.” Bucky adds.

“Is it just the suit?” Sam asks, “Or do you have some powers?”

“Well, I made the web shooters,” Peter starts, getting interrupted by Bruce.

“You made those? That’s great, you’ll have to show me how you synthesised something like that.”

“That would be awesome.” Peter says, before getting back to his original story, “Anyway, yeah, I have my spidey sense.”

“Excuse me?” Sam asks, “A what now?”

“It’s basically a sixth sense,” Tony explains, “From what we know, it warns him of danger. This ranges from bullets, to security cameras.”

Clint, walks into the kitchen, making sure to stay out of Peter’s line of sight, before grabbing a spring roll, and throwing it at the back of Peter’s head. Peter doesn’t even look at the food flying towards him, as he catches it effortlessly in his hand.

“And, surprise attacks from spring rolls, apparently.” He laughs, and takes a bite. “Nice throw.”

“What about catching my punch, a full power metal arm isn’t easy to stop.” Bucky asks.

“Super strength as well, an enhanced metabolism, enhanced senses, a great healing factor,” Peter says, “and I stick to things.”

“So, you crawling on the wall, isn’t the suit?” Sam says, and most people seem surprised.

Peter answers this by leaping straight into the air, grabbing the ceiling and hanging off it. Clint throws another spring roll at him, and he pulls himself fully onto the ceiling to dodge it. Scott catches it, and eats it himself.

“You have quite a set of powers, you’ll make a fine avenger one day.” Thor says, as Peter descends from the ceiling, back onto the couch.

“When do you want to start training?” Steve asks.

“I’ve got school for 2 more weeks, then it’s the end of term.” Peter replies.

“Would your parents mind you staying here?” Clint asks, being a parent himself, so is thoughtful on the matter.

“Yeah…” Peter mutters, “about that. They’re dead so, that’s a thing.”

“Shit kid, I’m sorry.” Clint apologies quickly.

Peter shakes his head, “No, don’t worry. This happened when I was much younger, I don’t even remember them.”

“Who’ve you been staying with then?” Scott asks, the other parent in the room, equally as concerned.

“Well, I was staying with my Aunt and Uncle, when the accident happened. So naturally, I stayed with them.” Peter says, “Uncle Ben died years ago, just after I received my powers. He’s kinda the reason I became Spiderman.”

He blinks away his tears.

“My Aunt, Aunt May. She died, just over a week ago.”

Everyone’s silent, as Tony gently rubs Peter’s back. Peter turns around to hug Tony, which he returns tightly. Tony wills himself not to cry in front of everyone, as he feels Peter’s pain, through their soulmate link.

“So, where are you staying now?” Wanda asks, wiping her eyes, discreetly.

“He’s been staying with me.” Tony answers, most people looking unsure at this.

“Is that, the best option?” Natasha says, being the only one brave enough to question this decision.

Tony scowls at her, holding Peter closer, like she might take him away. “Yes, absolutely.”

She nods, and the topic is left.

“That does remind me kiddo,” Tony says, waiting for Peter to look at him. “We should head back to the tower, otherwise you won’t make it to school on time.”

Peter nods, and stands up. He gathers everyone’s plates and puts them in the sink.

Tony gets up himself, clapping his hands. “Well, it’s been lovely seeing everyone. We’re going back to the tower. Feel free to stay here, or if you’re so desperate, you can go back to the tower. Your old privileges are back.”

He and Peter start walking away, Peter waving at everyone from over his shoulder. “It was great meeting everyone!”

Everyone says goodbye to him as they leave.

“I like him.” Scott decides.

“I agree, he seems talented.” Thor says.

“He’s just a kid though,” Wanda comments, “and he’s been through so much already.”

Everyone makes a silent agreement, to protect the kid at all costs.

The journey back is quiet. Tony puts music on softly in the background, as it’s clear Peter’s probably going to sleep, although, he’s not quite there yet.

“So, did I make the right decision?” Peter asks, “I hope they like me.”

“Of course, they like you. It’s difficult not to.” Tony says laughing.

“You’re bias.” Peter points out.

Tony scoffs, “What, how come?”

“Because, you’re my soulmate. You have to like me.”

“Peter,” Tony says, “Even if you weren’t my soulmate, I’d still like you as much as I do now. You’re just, a very likeable person.”

The sky is dark, with the lights of the city giving a soft illumination to the area. The lights inside the car are dull, and they can barely see each other.

“I’d like you as well, even if I wasn’t supposed to.” Peter smiles, and Tony feels a warmth at this statement. “You’re also a likeable person.”

“Thanks kid.” He says, then muttering quietly to himself, “But you’re more likeable than me.”

“Tony,” Peter rolls his eyes, “I have enhanced hearing you know, and I argue you’re more likable then me!”

“No, now you’re being stupid. You’re more liked then me!” Tony says, and Peter scoffs.

“You’re literally Tony Stark, everyone loves you!” He exclaims.

“Oh, so you love me, do you?” Tony asks, teasingly, but Peter answers fully serious.

“Well, yeah. Of course I do.” Peter says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I love you. You’re kinda the only person I have left.”

Tony’s heart swells with happiness, before he hesitantly replies, “I love you too, kid.” He notices that he feels a happiness radiating from Peter, feeling the soulmate connection stronger than ever.

“Wow,” Peter laughs, “Could you have said that anymore nervously!”

Tony chuckles, “Emotional connections aren’t my forte.”

They sit silently for a bit, enjoying the atmosphere and listening to the quiet music. Tony looks over at Peter, who’s head is gently resting against the window, eye struggling to stay open.

“Go to sleep kid, it’s okay.”

Peter shakes his head, although his eyes fully close, and he sighs contently.

“I just don’t want to leave this moment, you don’t often say you love me.” Peter admits, his tiredness making him more truthful.

Tony feels slightly guilty at this.

“Peter, I promise, that I’ll tell you I love you everyday from now on.” He says, fully intending to keep his promise. “You won’t ever have to doubt that I love you again. I’m sorry, I could have said it sooner.”

Peter nods, content with Tony’s promise.

“I love you Tony.” He says.

“I love you as well, Peter.” Tony says softly.

They enter the city, Peter still dozing on the window. Tony’s tries his best to keep his driving smooth, as to not disturb him.

“Hey Tony,” Peter mumbles out.

“Yes kid?”

“I love you.” He says again.

Tony smiles, “I love you too.”

Peter, very sleepy now, keeps muttering to Tony that he loves him. Each time Tony responds, and feels the same warmth through their connection, every time.

Eventually the muttering dies out as Peter finally drifts off to sleep. Tony watches Peter for a second, and smiles. How is he so lucky, to be in Peter’s life? To be loved by this kid.

He pulls into the garage shortly after, and turns off the car. His armour activates, and he gently lifts the kid out of the car seat, taking them into the elevator and up to the penthouse.

He goes straight to his room, and lies Peter on the bed. The armour dissipates, and he changes into his pyjamas, and uses the bathroom. Peter hasn’t stirred from the bed, and Tony doesn’t want to disturb him, so he pulls him out of his jumper, and shoes, before falling asleep next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I got way to caught up in making the end as fluffy as I could, so apparently, I forgot to add any plot. But, can you blame me?  
> Also, absolute sacrilege, but I noticed they hadn't said I love you yet, so that's why the endings full of it. lmao, I'm a sucker for fluff.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, sorry it's been so long since I updated! Moving to uni has been stressful and settling in has been time consuming. But, as it's my birthday today, I wanted to upload something, so I quickly edited the progress of my current chapter and uploaded it!

Peter wakes up, snuggling further into Tony’s embrace. He sighs contently, keeping his eyes closed. Tony’s still asleep, and Peter pulls himself closer, slipping under his soulmates chin.

“FRIDAY, what’s the time?” He asks quietly, and FRIDAY answers at an equal volume.

“8:30, Peter.”

He hums in acknowledgement, before his eyes snap open.

“School! I’m going to be late!” He says, and jumps out of bed. Tony wakes up, and mourns his loss of warmth, before dragging himself out of bed. Peter runs out the room, presumably to get ready. Tony heads towards his bathroom, to have a shower.

He showers quickly, and goes into the main room. Rhodey and Pepper are sat on the couch, talking happily, and looking much to awake at this point in the morning.

“Tony, this is an unusually early hour for you.” Rhodey comments, as Tony flops onto the couch next to Pepper. Tony wraps his arm around her, and kissing cheek, pointedly ignoring Rhodey.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting into a healthy sleeping habit.” Rhodey laughs.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my fiancé?” Pepper says, poking Tony. He grumbles out them both, lightly mushing Pepper’s face away.

Peter comes sprinting in, 1 shoe on, his hair wet, struggling to put his hand in his jumper. Tony presses a quick kiss to Pepper’s hair, before standing up and grabbing Peter’s bag.

“Come kid, I’ll drive you.” He says, and follows Peter into the elevator. FRIDAY automatically takes them to the garage, and Tony heads over to his Bugatti. Peter follows him, hopping awkwardly whilst he pulls on his other shoe.

Tony gets into the drivers seat, and clicks on his seatbelt.

“Let’s get going kid, buckle up.” He says, and navigates his way out of his garage. Peter sits in the passenger seat, with his bag on his lap. 

He takes his phone out his bag, and looks at the messages from Ned. Remembering he kinda abandoned him at school, yesterday.

He quickly writes Ned a short text. ‘sorry for leaving yesterday, i’ll see you in a min. running a little late’

Tony pulls out of the tower garage, and as soon as he’s on the road, he starts speeding towards the Midtown.

“You didn’t have any breakfast, did you?” Tony says.

“Well, I did just wake up, 20 minutes ago.” Peter replies vaguely, trying to not completely state he hasn’t eaten, which is an answer itself.

Tony sighs, and slows down, scanning any signs to find a drive-through anywhere.

“Tony, I’m going to be late.” Peter anxiously glances at his watch.

“I care more about your health, than education.” Tony replies, pulling into a Starbucks. “Besides, I need coffee.”

He orders a coffee, orange juice, and a range of various pastries and muffins. The man serving them is slightly surprised to see Tony Stark ordering from Starbucks himself, but refrains from amazement as he hands over their items.

Tony takes a long swig from his coffee, enjoying the burning bitterness. He hands over the bag of pastries to Peter.

“Did you want one?” Peter asks peering into the bag. Tony shakes his head, leaning out the window to throw his half-drunk coffee away.

“Nope, all yours. I expect them all to be eaten by the time we arrive.” Tony says, handing over the bottle of orange juice. “And this, keep up with your vitamin C.”

Tony puts his foot down, and charges towards the school. He periodically looks over at Peter, making sure he’s eating. They pull up at the school, at 9:20, and Tony parks in the drop off zone. He peers into the bag, and raises his eyebrow at the 1 muffin at the bottom.

“It’s for you,” Peter says, and hands the bag over to Tony. Tony rolls his eyes.

“Spiderbaby’s have a higher metabolism.” He argues, but Peter’s already half out the door.

“See you later Tony.” He says, and runs into the building, skipping up the steps quickly. Tony rolls his eyes, and drives away.

Peter rushes in, only a few minutes late. He runs into his form room.

“Take a seat Mr Parker.” The teacher says, and Peter goes to join Ned on their seats.

“What happened yesterday?” Ned asks.

“Tony picked me up at lunch, sorry.” Peter replies, changing the subject. “But, I did go to the compound, and meet the Avengers.”

“Dude!” Ned says, in a hushed whisper, “I am so glad I’m your friend. What are they like? Did they want to meet you? Did you meet them as Peter Parker or Spiderman?”

“I had to tell them who I was, they were trying to recruit me!” Peter says, and Ned eyes widen.

“Woah, they want you on the team?”

Peter nods, “Yeah, they want to train me, officially. Then, when I’m ready, I can become Spiderman full time.”

“Class, listen up.” The teacher says, and Peter looks over, ignoring the amazed looks Ned is giving him. “End of term next week, so parents evening is coming up. We’ve sent emails out, to all your parents.”

“Whose coming for you?” Ned whispers, and Peter shrugs.

“I don’t actually know whose recorded as my guardian. Probably Tony, I would guess.”

“Imagine if, The Tony Stark, comes to your parents evening. Just wow, that would be amazing.”

Peter laughs, and focuses back on the teacher. He wonders whether he should tell Ned that he and Tony are soulmates, but dismisses the thought. Ned would actually explode.

The bell rang, indicating the first lesson. Peter and Ned slowly grab their bags, and head towards Maths.

“Have you been officially adopted yet?” Ned asks, and Peter thinks for a minute. He is currently in Tony’s legal care, because they’re soulmates, but the adoption process hasn’t finished yet.

“No, Tony still needs to fill in paperwork, there’s a lot of it.” He answers vaguely.

“Well, it’s still cool to be living with Tony Stark.” Ned says, turning into the classroom once they arrive.

“Oh Peter, I didn’t know you’d be joining us today.” Their teacher, Mrs Harris says, “We’ll be marking the homework, so you can share use Ned’s.”

“Oh, no. Don’t worry, I was sent the work.” Peter replies, and goes to his usual seat. He brings his completed work out his bag, he spent Sunday catching up for missed time, as Tony spent the day with Pepper, as it was her birthday.

The class starts, and Peter marks his work. His answers are correct, but he’s dropped a few marks for forgetting to write his workings out. Overall, it’s a good result.

He looks at his phone, and checks the time. 9:50. He sighs as the day slowly progresses. His leg start to jitter, and he mindlessly taps his fingers. Ned nudges him, and he stops. He notices to teacher has handed out worksheets, and his is sat there untouched.

He picks up his pen, and starts scribbling down the answers, working out the questions instantly. His homework is still on the table, and he sighs, looking at his lost marks. He goes back on his current worksheet, taking time to write the equations and workings out.

He gets halfway through, and checks the time again. 10:13. Peter drops his head onto the table, as Ned’s voice cuts through the mindless chatter of the class.

“You alright?”

Peter nods, his head still on the desk. “Just, school. It’s still only the first lesson.”

“Ugh, I know.” Ned laughs, and doodles in the margin of the worksheet.

Peter moves his head, so his forehead is still on the table, and he pulls out his phone. He opens up his conversation with Tony.

‘Heyyy’

Tony starts typing back immediately. Peter swears Tony’s more attached to technology than he is, and teenagers are the ones with the stereotype.

‘You bored already?’

Peter smiles.

‘How bad would it be if I left early again?’

‘Not too bad, I wouldn’t even have gone back if I was in your position. You need me to come in?’

Peter wants to type yes, but forces himself to hold on for a little longer.

‘No, I’ll do another lesson at least, and see how I feel.’

‘God, you’re more responsible than me. Are you sure you don’t want too? I’m bored.’

Peter rolls his eyes, imagining the pout Tony is probably making, but would deny later.

‘Don’t tempt me. You a bad influence.’

‘Does this mean you want to leave?’

‘Tony, aren’t you the one saying I should prioritise my studies.’

‘Only over being a vigilante.’

Peter shakes his head, and slips away his phone. His mind has refocused itself, and he finishes the remaining questions. He pokes Ned a few times, who also seems to be falling asleep.

The bell rings, and everyone starts packing away their belongings.

“Finish the worksheets for next lesson, and additionally, write 5 of your own questions related to our lesson today!” Mrs Harris says, shouting above the noise of the class. Peter and Ned leave the classroom together.

“I’ve got religious studies next, I’ll meet you at break?” Ned says, walking in the opposite direction to Peter’s next class. Peter waves, unenthusiastically, and goes to his English class.

The teacher greets him similarly to the last one, stating their surprise at seeing Peter in. He goes to his seat and immediately brings out his phone.

‘Tonyyy’

Tony, again, replies quickly.

‘Peterrr.’

‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m being driven to a meeting, why? Change your mind?’

He looks up from his phone, noticing his class still walking in, so he can stay on his phone for a few more minutes.

‘You couldn’t leave the meeting to come and pick me up anyway.’

‘Of course I could, is this a challenge?’

Peter stifles a laugh, shaking his head.

“Phones away now, we’ve started!” The English teacher, Miss Aisari says. Peter let’s his drop into his bag.

“We’re annotating chapter 6 today, focusing on how the terminology for the different characters represents…”

Peter tunes her out, and stares outside. He’s sat near the back of the room – as this class has an alphabetical seating plan – next to the window. The trees are slightly swaying, birds flying around happily. The lack of wind would be perfect to go out as Spiderman.

It’s been a while since he’s been out as Spiderman though, the last time was the evening before May died. He should be patrolling, but hanging around with Tony is easy. He feels safe, and in the moment with him.

“Peter, you with us?” Miss Aisari asks, clearly concerned for him.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Peter says, making a conscious effort to focus on the lesson, for a minute. He sees his phone in his bag, and checks the time. 10:42.

‘I’m achy’ Peter messages Tony, wondering what he’s doing now.

‘I feel it too. We are soulmates’

He feels happy at Tony mentioning they’re soulmates, like a warmth spreads through him. Tony doesn’t wait for Peter to reply, messing him again.

‘This meeting sucks, I’m coming to get you.’

Peter smiles, and sighs in relief.

‘When will you be here?’

’10 minutes, think about where you want to go for lunch.’

Peter puts his phone in his bag, and raises his hand. The teacher nods at him to ask his question.

“Can I be excused?” He asks, more hesitantly than he would have liked.

“Yes, of course Peter. Don’t strain yourself for the essay either, I’ll give you an extension.” She replies, and some of the students groan at the mention of the essay. 

Peter slides his rucksack on, and leaves the classroom, weary of everyone looking at him with sympathetic looks. He heads to the office, sending Ned an apology text on the way.

‘I’m leaving, sorry.’

He doesn’t expect a reply, as Ned shouldn’t be using his phone in lesson; even though he was just 2 minutes ago, and enters the office.

The receptionist smiles at Peter, as he walks over to one of the couches. He sits down, and pulls out his phone again, bringing his headphones out as well. He puts in his ear buds, and listens to music whilst waiting for Tony.

Tony arrives 8 minutes later.

“Hey kiddie.” He says as he enters, and Peter leaps up. Tony pulls him into his side, as he walks his way over to the familiar sign out sheet. He writes down Peter’s name, the time and reasoning for leaving, and then they walk out, back to the car.

Peter walks around to the passenger’s seat, as Tony gets in and starts the car.

“Did you want anything in particular for lunch?” He asks, pulling away from the school.

Peter doesn’t answer, simply content to just be with Tony. His worry and achiness from early vanishes, and he starts out the car window, staring at the people walking on the street.

Tony smirks, leaning over to poke Peter in the cheek. Peter turns to look at him, with an eyebrow raised in question.

“Lunch?”

Peter shakes his head.

“I suppose it still is pretty early.” Tony agrees, and heads straight towards the tower. “You alright?”

“I think so,” Peter says, “I wish I could stay in school for more then a few hours though. I don’t know why it’s suddenly so hard to concentrate, and so overwhelming.”

“I feel it too.” Tony admits, “It’s not right without your annoying chatter constantly following me.”

Peter laughs, and lightly shoves Tony on the shoulder.

“How about spending some time in the lab then? We can keep working on the updated Iron Legion, you were making real progress on the unique AI. I could use your help.” Tony asks, content at lifting Peter’s mood.

“You’re just using me for you own benefit!” Peter teasingly accuses, “But, it does sound pretty fun.”

They’re almost at the tower, Peter always forgets how far away it is from Midtown. He then remembers the announcement from this morning, and turns to Tony.

“Did you get an email, about Parents evening?” He asks, and Tony nods.

“Yep, they already gave me the timeslots to see your teachers.”

Peter was hoping they wouldn’t go, he’s doesn’t want the attention.

“People are gonna ask questions though, is it really a good idea?” He pouts.

“The school already know that you’re under my care, and have already asked me, directly, to come in. It makes sense.”

They pull into the garage, and they get out quickly. The elevator takes them straight to the lab. Whilst in there, Tony pats Peter’s shoulder sympathetically.

“Don’t worry kid, I won’t embarrass you.”

Peter shakes his head, “It’s not you, it’s everyone else’s reaction to you.”

“I can’t help that I’m so popular.” Tony laughs, and Peter groans, lightly headbutting his head against Tony’s chest. The doors open when they get to the lab, and Peter dumps his bag near the door.

They spend hours in the lab, as usual. Peter working on the AI, as he wants to improve his programming ability, but sometimes looking over to learn from what Tony’s doing. They make a lot of progress.

The elevator opens, at 3:30. Pepper walks in quickly.

“Henry’s here. He’s waiting to meet you in the penthouse.”

Tony looks up from one of the suits, raising his eyebrow at Pepper.

“Who? Why are you inviting random people into my Penthouse?” Tony asks, Peter’s too lost in his work to be aware Pepper’s here.

“I invited him into the 12 percent of the tower that is mine.” Pepper smiles teasingly. “He’s Peter’s social worker, to confirm that you’re suitable for adoption…” She explains, as Tony still doesn’t recognise the name.

“Shit.” Tony mutters, before rushing to the sink to clean his hands. Peter looks up at Tony bustling around, and gives Pepper a wave when he notices her.

“Okay, Peter, stay here. I’ll talk to the social worker. Wait? Is it irresponsible for me to leave you unattended in a lab?” He says, spinning to look at Peter. Pepper tries to hide her laugh at Tony’s panic. “Peter, with me. Pepper, don’t look like you’re waiting for something to go wrong, but I might need back up.”

They all go into the elevator together. Tony is the only one nervous. Pepper’s started responding to emails, and Peter glances at his mentor, slightly amused.

The penthouse is tidy, Tony notes. He doesn’t know if they’ll take Peter away if the house is untidy. Maybe showing Henry some of FRIDAY’s safety features would earn him extra credit. He puts on a casual face though, radiating confidence.

“Mr Stark, and Peter! Hello.” Henry says, as they walk over to him. “How are you doing Peter?”

“I’m getting better,” Peter says.

“I heard you’ve been trying to go to school, it’s admirable that you still want to excel in your studies.” He says, and Tony leads them to sit on the couch.

“Can I offer you a drink, Henry?” Pepper asks, smiling politely.

“I’m fine thank you, this is just a quick visit before we can finalise the adoption.” He says.

“Well, in that case, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got some pressing business to take care off.” She replies, ignoring Tony’s pleading look of ‘don’t leave me’.

Pepper leaves them, and Henry regains their attention.

“So, Peter, how have you liked living here so far?” Henry asks, bringing out a file.

“Yeah, it’s been great. Tony’s been very accommodating and supportive!” Peter gushes, and Tony feels more at ease, even though he knew Peter was fine with living at the Penthouse.

“That’s excellent to hear. Mr Stark, what are your thoughts about this arrangement?” Henry says, writing down Peter’s response.

“Peter’s been great. He’s fine with everything, it’s a pleasure having him live here.” Tony smiles.

Henry nods, and keeps on writing, “How supported are you Peter? We can ask Mr Stark to leave if necessary.”

Peter shakes his head, “No, he can stay. Tony’s been great. Some days have been difficult, but Tony always listens to me, and offers support or distractions!”

“Well, that makes sense. Soulmates instinctively know how to support each other.” Henry agrees, “Would you mind showing me your room Peter?”

Peter stands up, and leads Henry away. Tony stays in the main room, and makes himself a coffee to keep busy. He paces, nervously sipping his coffee, and looking down the hall towards Peter’s room every few minutes.

Minutes later, they return. Tony tries to look casual, but immediately goes over to them, looking more nervous than casual.

“How is it? Is everything okay?” He asks, and Henry smiles in return.

“Mr Stark, you’re doing an excellent job. I will be able to provide a perfect report. I’ll send you the official adoption papers soon.”

Tony smiles widens, and with wide eyes he looks at Peter. He smiles back, with a thumbs up.

“I’ll be taking my leave then.” Henry says, and they led him to the elevator, and he goes to the ground floor.

Tony turns to Peter again, and pulls him into a tight hug.

“Kid!” He says, he definitely doesn’t squeal, “This is amazing news!”

Peter hugs him back tightly, “This is what Aunt May would have wanted.”

Tony nods, “Yep, she made me promise, that if anything happened to her, I would look after you.”

“You’ve done that successfully.” Peter smiles, looking up at Tony. Tony can’t get over how adorable his soulmate looks, and tucks Peter under his chin, not wanting to let go.

“God, I love you kid.” He says softly, and feels Peter squeeze tighter in response.

“I love you too.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I did it. Finally. It's a short chapter, but god damn. I finally wrote another part to this. There is probably some mistakes, but I'll reread later to find any.
> 
> Sorry it's been like, almost 2 months. But this part killed me for some reason... The next part will be pure fluff, to give my brain some time to recover from attempting a plot.

Parents evening came around too quickly. Peter sat in class, watching the clock slowly tick further to his scheduled meeting time.

“Dude, I still can’t believe the Tony Stark is coming to your parents evening.” Ned gushes, for the millionth time that day.

Peter groans, and hides his face behind his hands. “People are going to stare,” He wasn’t sad that Tony would be attending, he was nervous about everyone else’s reaction.

“At least people will believe you about the internship now, and that you live with him.” Ned points out.

“I don’t want people to know though! I don’t want to be treated any different, because I live with a superhero.” Peter sighs, and flinches at the bell.

Ned pats his shoulder sympathetically, “Good luck buddy. I’ll see you later.” Ned grabs his bag, and leaves the class, needing to get home quickly.

Peter limply waves at his friend’s back, before slowly gathering his belongings.

“Stupid parent’s evening.” He mutters, shoving his books into his bag. He slings it over his shoulder, and heads towards the library, to get some study done before the parents evening later.

The library’s empty, so Peter heads to the central table. Headphones in, he starts mulling over his homework assignments. He makes a lot of progress, then his phone vibrates.

He glances over, tearing his eyes away from his chemistry assignment.

‘Hey kiddo, time to get this show on the road’

It’s Tony – Peter’s put the ghost emoji next to his name, because they’re soulmates – and he’s here. Peter stands up, and starts calling Tony.

“Pete, I’m waiting outside.” Tony says, the faint sound of a car engine on the background of the call.

“Waiting?” Peter asks amused, “Because it sounds to me, like you’re running late.”

“Nope. Perfectly on time.” Tony replies, as Peter leaves the library.

“Uh huh,”

“Just get your butt by the main entrance,”

Peter picks up his pace, and quickly makes his way over to the entrance, just as Tony pulls up. He hangs up the phone as Tony leaps out the car.

“See, I knew you weren’t actually waiting.” Peter teases, and Tony rolls his eyes. He tosses a paper bag at Peter, who catches it easily with his reflexes.

“And I know you haven’t eaten in a while,” He says, and starts walking to the entrance, following the signs to the main hall, “and now, we’re waiting on you.”

Peter laughs, feeling relaxed and happy in the presence of his soulmate. The bag feels warm, and Peter grabs the burger from inside, taking a bite. He hadn’t realised how hungry he was, and briefly wonders if Tony felt it through the soulmate connection.

He follows Tony into the building, throwing away his rubbish before entering the hall.

Tony pauses, and places a hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“This will be fine kid,” He says, staring Peter in the eye, “Just checking on your progress, in and out, it’ll be quick.”

The double doors leading towards the main hall are closed, but the light streams from underneath, and the muffled noise is loud. Peter takes a deep breath, and pushes the door open.

“That’s it kiddo,” Tony says, putting a hand on Peter’s back, and leading them into the hall.

It’s busy. Students and parents are scattered around the hall, crammed in, waiting to see a teacher, so they can move onto the next one on their list.

“So much for in and out.” Tony chuckles, and they walk over to the sign in desk.

Peter flicks through the sheets, and signs next to his name, and starts leading Tony to his first teacher.

Then, people start noticing them.

All the waiting benches are full, so Peter and Tony stand at the end of the queue for the first teacher. Peter eyes start flickering around, his spider sense ringing at all the attention they’re receiving. He subconsciously moves closer to Tony.

Tony puts a casual arm around his shoulders, and pulls him into a side hug.

Then, the whispering starts.

‘That’s that Parker kid isn’t it? I heard his Aunt had died.’

‘Tony Stark, what’s he doing at Midtown?’

‘Peter wasn’t lying. He does know Tony Stark.’

Peter tenses, remembering the Gala, and the whispering that happened then. Tony cuts through his thoughts.

“They better be whispering about how cool I am.” He mutters, and Peter laughs.

“Hey Parker!” Flash shouts, and Peter sighs, his almost good mood instantly ruined.

Flash had stopped bullying Peter, but they weren’t on friendly terms. Not even close to it.

“Buddy, how’ve you been? Is this Tony Stark? You know him through your internship, right?” He starts, and this is exactly what Peter didn’t want.

“Son, catching up with friends I see.” A man laughs, patting Flash on the shoulder. “Tony Stark, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

He holds out his hand towards Tony, who looks at Peter for permission. Peter nods his head, no need to be rude to people.

Tony grabs his hand, flashing a fake smile towards the man.

“Yes, you’re right. It is a pleasure to meet me.”

Peter stifles snort, and feels a faint jab in the side from Tony’s elbow.

“My name is Richard Thompson, I used to work for a tech company myself.”

“Oh really, that’s interesting.” Tony says, and Peter’s amazed that Richard didn’t hear his obvious sarcasm.

“Yes, Charlie’s Tech. It’s a large company now.”

“Well, that just sounds like a… scam, low quality place. Never heard of it.” Tony replies, more focused on his phone, and moving along the queue.

“It’s a big competitor for Stark Industries, you’d better watch yourself.”

Tony actually laughs out loud, at this.

“You’re a funny guy, Dick. Keep your humour, it’s the only thing you’ve got going for you.”

The teacher calls for Peter, so Peter pulls Tony towards the table before he can insult Flash’s father anymore.

“Oh, I was just beginning to enjoying myself.” Tony complains, and Peter rolls his eyes.

“You can’t insult everyone we meet, even if they do fake friendships with me to meet you.”

They sit on the uncomfortable chairs, waiting for Mrs Harris, who is organising various paper’s before looking up. Peter has to give her credit, she pulls herself together quickly after noticing Tony Stark.

“Hello Peter, how’ve you been?” She asks, finally finding her notes on Peter, and brings them out. Peter glances at the papers, and is relieved to find his grades haven’t declined.

“Yeah, I’ve been alright.” He answers, nodding.

“Good, good. So, you’re Peter’s guardian for tonight then Mr Stark?” She asks, “You’ll be pleased to know I can only report praise about his grades and behaviour.”

“Let’s get on with it then.” Tony says, eager to hear people praising Peter all night.

“Well, despite his difficulties with his personal life, he has maintained his grades, and handed each homework in promptly, and to a high standard.”

“Well, this all sounds great.” Tony says the Mrs Harris, and leans over to Peter. “Does this mean we’re done here…”

“One minute, Mr Stark. The reason we wanted you here today, is Peter’s attendance.”

Tony raises an eyebrow at this.

“Umm, Peter’s excused for having time off, given all he’s been dealing with recently. This shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Let me explain, because this involves you as well.” She amends, “While he’s, of course, allowed time for personal reasons, he is expected to start coming into school more frequently. We have professionals here at dealing with his situation, and exam season is beginning to start.”

She pauses, wondering how to best word her next sentence.

“We also believe, me and the other members of staff, that he has separation anxiety. With you.”

They sit in silence for a few seconds, and Peter shuffles uncomfortably in his chair.

“It is common between soulmates, but can also occur between children and parents. Because Peter has already lost, a few parent figures…”

‘That’s an understatement,’ Tony sighs to himself.

“It is completely natural for him to attach himself to a guardian figure, such as yourself. Which is why we think it’s best if Peter focuses on staying in school for the whole day.”

‘Oh…’

“Is that everything?” Tony asks, and she nods. She stands up, and extends her hand towards Tony and Peter, and they follow suit, shaking it in turn.

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me today, Mr Stark.” She smiles, and she calls out her next appointment.

“Can we go outside for a minute?” Peter asks, and Tony nods, leading them outside the main hall, back down the familiar corridors.

It’s raining, when they walk outside, so they stand in the entrance, under the roof.

“She said it was common with Soulmates, separation anxiety.” Peter starts, holding his hand out to feel the rain.

“And with kids with their parents.” Tony adds, watching Peter play with the rain.

“So, does that mean I have double separation anxiety?” He laughs.

“You do always put 110% effort into everything you do. Even anxiety, apparently.” Tony joins in with Peters laughing.

Peter tries to drift further into the rain, but Tony pulls him back. He pulls Peter into his chest, peter’s back against him.

“How many more teachers’ kiddie?”

Peter pulls out a scrap of paper, and studies it for a minute.

“6.”

Tony shakes his head, and drags them back towards the car.

“Nope. Let’s go. Keep working on suits, seeing as your grades are high. I need to use your genius brain for myself.”

Peter blushes slightly at the praise, and they go towards the car. Peter sprints, not wanting to get wet, whilst Tony walks at a more reasonable pace.

He slides into the passenger seat soaking, he just knows that his hair will be fluffy when it dries. Tony gets in, remarkably dry. Tony smirks at his soulmate, and ruffles his damp hair.

“How did you manage this? I left for 5 seconds, and you can’t even keep yourself dry.”

“It’s raining! We can’t all be suave like you!” Peter laughs, shaking his head, so the droplets of rain get on Tony.

“Suave, I like that.” Tony agrees, and starts the car, driving them home.


	6. Chapter 6

The final few days of school before the break came and went quickly. Peter kept his head down, and barely had to leave early. He kept in contact with Tony during school hours.

On the Friday, Tony picked him up personally.

“Hey Kiddo, you ready to head to the compound?” He asks, revving the engine as soon as Peter settles in the car.

Peter rolls his eyes at Tony’s display; playing up to the other students who gasp and point at them.

“Do you have to play up to the crowd? I thought our plan was to lay low?”

“Lighten up, what’s the point of knowing me if you’re not going to show off a little?” Tony laughs.

Tony finally pulls away, and speeds down the road.

“So how was school then?”

“It was alright, I told you about the film we had to watch in Spanish earlier.” Peter shudders at the memory. “God, that was weird.”

Tony laughs, “Yeah, good thing I was texting you then, keeping you sane.”

“Gosh, you’re full of yourself today. Who did you manage to correct?” Peter asks cockily, taking his gaze from out the window to look at his soulmate.

Tony gasps dramatically, “Excuse you, can’t I just be feeling good today without correcting someone?”

Peter continues to stare at him, and Tony glances to him.

“…it was Ross. He was talking about your identity, as Spiderman of course, and I just offhandedly mentioned that you’ve already done more to save the city, never mind the world, then he has, so he has little room to comment on the ‘disgrace that are wild vigilantes’.”

Tony chuckles at the recent memory, “It was pretty cool.”

“So, what I’m hearing is that I was right, and you did correct someone!” Peter points out.

“Here I am, just talking about how I defended you, and this is the cheek I get! That’s it. You’re grounded till Uni.” Tony says, jokingly. “You’re just lucky I love you, so it’s not longer.”

“Aww, you love me?” Peter teases.

Tony laughs, and mutters to himself. “Sure, do kid.”

Peter settles back, with a smile, and pulls out his phone, content to play games till they reach the compound.

Tony looks over at his kid, happy that he’s opening up, back to his usual self. There’s still a long way to go, but progress is progress.

They arrive at the compound, and pull up outside the main door.

Peter gets out the car and stretches, going to the back where his bags are. He packed clothes and other things he’d need, yesterday.

Tony also gets out, and starts tapping his watch; the car driving itself automatically into the garage.

“It’s nice to see you two again.” Steve greets, as he walks through the door.

“Hello, Mr Captain.” Peter says, and Steve shakes his head fondly at the name.

“I thought we agreed, that Steve was perfectly fine, last time.”

“I didn’t agree to anything!” Peter smiles innocently.

“I told you, the kid’s stubborn with that.” Tony says, walking over to help Peter with his bags. Steve holds the door open for them, as they go through. “Let’s put your bags away kid, and then you can expel some of your energy.”

“You want to train already?” Steve asks, walking with them to Peter’s room.

“A Spiderbaby trapped in school all day, without patrolling for a few weeks? Yes.” Tony replies.

“Well, I was about to go for a jog before dinner, if you want to join me?” Steve says, directing it towards Peter. “If you suit up, you can run at your full speed, without having to be concerned about your identity.”

Peter wants to accept, but he and Tony have only just reunited after being separated at school. Tony notices Peter’s dilemma, he feels it too.

“How about I come in my own suit. Think you can run faster than Iron Man kiddo?”

Peter smiles instantly, and swivels to face Steve.

“Just let me get my suit on!”

He enters his room and quickly changes.

“Okay, I’m ready.” He says, coming out the room fully suited.

“Perfect, I was going to do a few laps around the compound. Alright with you?” Steve asks.

Peter nods, so they head outside. Steve starts stretching, so Peter follows suit.

“It’s always important to stretch before any form of exercise, it can be dangerous if you don’t, we don’t want anyone to hurt themselves.” Steve explains, and Peter can’t help but remember all the PSA’s he’s watched.

“Mr Captain?” Peter asks, smiling a little mischievously.

Tony notices Peter’s expression and listens curiously. Steve is unaware.

“Yes Peter?”

“Did you recite that from one of your PSA’s?”

Steve’s face went white, and Tony’s eyes lit up.

“You know about those?” Steve asks hesitantly.

“Whoa whoa whoa, back up.” Tony rushes.

Peter starts running away, laughing to himself.

Steve stands there, for a second, before pulling himself together, and starts running after him. Tony’s suit forms around him, and he flies off to catch up.

When he catches up, he immediately starts asking questions.

“These, PSA’s. What do you do, preach about the importance of an education?”.

“So, you got detention. You screwed up. You know what you did was wrong, the question is, how are you going to make things right?” Peter recites, using a deep voice to imitate Steve.

“No, no, no, no, no.” Steve forces himself to sprint, increasing his speed to avoid further embarrassment.

“Kid, I love you. This is the best day of my life, but I feel like I should be concerned about you knowing the detention PSA off by heart.” Peter looks up at his mentor sheepishly, smiling innocently. Tony rolls his eyes, “But, I’ll let it slide if you tell me more of them.”

Peter’s smile turns into a cheeky smirk, and he increases him own speed to catch back up to Steve.

“Maybe you were trying to be cool. Take it from a guy whose been frozen for 65 years, the only way to really be cool.” He pauses for a dramatic effect, “Is to follow the rules.”

“And to think I thought you were a nice.” Steve laughs.

They run in silence for a bit, and the pleasant jog beings to become more competitive.

Peter puts his head down, and starts pumping his arms along with his legs, gaining even more speed. He puts all his stored energy into his muscles, enjoying running around as Spiderman, at full speed.

Steve trails behind him, straining to keep up. Tony is impressed. They stop running after several laps of the Compound.

They are both out of breath, and walk around, stretching their muscles to cool down.

“Wow Pete, that was a lot of speed. You’ve really shown your potential today.” Steve says, only sounding a little out of breath. They both have a quick recovery time, considered the time and distance they were running for.

“Yeah Kiddo, that was fast.” Tony says proudly.

“What’s your top speed?” Steve asks.

Peter shrugs, “Never tried it. And I’m much quicker at swinging than straight up running.”

Steve nods, impressed.

“Well son, that’s something to test out another day.” He claps his hands together, “Let’s all clean up, and get some supper.”

Peter leaves for his room, and removes his suit, taking a quick shower.

He enters the main room, the large space with a kitchen and attached sitting area. Sam’s cooking, pasta, from the nice smell.

“Hi Sam.” Peter says and leans against the counter.

“Hey Spidey, heard you took a jog with Cap earlier. Please tell me you were faster than him.” Sam asks, shuddering at all the memories of Steve overtaking him on jogs.

Peter leans against the counter, smiling a little smugly.

Sam does a double take at Peter’s smile, and his eyes light up.

“No way,” Sam laughs, “Ah, I wish I could’ve seen his face.”

“I’m afraid he was as humble as ever, but I do have a recording of his loss.” Tony announces, walking into the room, also freshly showered – though he didn’t actually do any exercise.

“You have to show me.” Sam says instantly, and Tony brings up a projection, swiping the footage over to him. Sam watches it, and Tony takes over cooking (dismissing how naturally they were working as a team).

“So, you got detention. You screwed up.” The video plays, and Sam starts howling with laughter. He then watches as Peter proceeds to overtake Steve, whilst reciting the lines.

“Oh no,” Steve sighs, and enters the room, Natasha and Bruce following.

“Oh no, what?” She asks, and Sam shows them the video from the beginning.

Natasha smirks, taking the video, tapping the screen a few times.

“What are you doing?” Steve looks over her shoulder uncertainly.

“Just, sharing the joy.”

Tony laughs, and turns of the cooker, letting Peter grab the giant pot, and putting it on the table. There’s a lot of food.

“Who did you send it too?” Peter asks, but, with his enhanced hearing, hears the answer himself.

Steve hears the laughs next, and narrows his eyes at Nat.

“You didn’t.”

Clint bursts into the room, tears in his eyes. “PSA’s! This is amazing!”

“Okay, laugh it up. Let’s just get some dinner before it goes cold.” Steve says, trying to change the course of the conversation. Everyone grabs some food, the other avengers littered around the compound getting notified by FRIDAY.

Clint clears his throat, “So, you’ve got dinner. Let me tell you the importance about eating your greens.”

“Vegetables are an important factor in your diet, bringing nutrients to sustain a healthy mind and body.” Sam picks up where Clint left off. “The question is, how are you going to make sure you get the correct amount?”

“Wait, there’s one for this.” Peter says, holding up a finger, whilst searching his phone. He smiles and clicks on a link – his school are obligated to keep videos of these on their website.

“Hi, I’m Captain America.” The videos starts, Peter projecting it onto the TV. “Whether you’re a student or a soldier, there’s one thing that will always give you an edge. A hot lunch.”

Steve takes a deep breath, and ponders if he’ll die of embarrassment.

“You don’t have to be injected with a secret government super soldier serum to have strong bones and muscles. A well-balanced diet is one of the best ways to help keep your body healthy. The food pyramid will help you find the balance.”

The video stops, and Tony takes a moment to control his laughter before asking. “How many are there?”

“At least 8.” Peter says. “And we haven’t even seen the best one yet.” He takes a deep breath, and puts on his best ‘Captain America’ voice again. “So, your bodies changing, believe me, I know how that feels.” Steve quickly interrupts, a little flustered, but can see the amusement in the situation.

“Okay, okay. This is all very funny. I’m glad we can bond over this experience, as a team.”

Everyone drops the subject, the chuckling dying down.

Peter grabs his phone, and immediately texts Ned.

‘Guess who just teased CA???!’

Ned responds instantly.

‘no wayy, what did you do to Captain America’

‘just told the avengers about the psa’s’

‘oh my god, that’s incredible. You’re joking with him like you’re best friends.’ –‘don’t replace me dude’

‘Don’t worry. You’re still my best guy in the chair’

‘you only use me for my brains’

‘damn right’

Peter puts down his phone, and finishes his food, and after a pointed look from Tony, goes to get seconds.

“Let’s put on a film, I’ve still got several on my list to watch.” Steve says after a minute, still trying to move the conversation as far away from his PSA’s as he can. “Indiana Jones?”

Everyone agrees, and settles down the watch the film, finishing their food. Peter flops onto Tony, after putting his empty plate of the coffee table.

The giant compound windows show the night sky, as the film progresses, and the evening gets later.

The credits soon roll on screen, but no one makes an effort to get up. Content to enjoy each other’s company for a few more minutes.

“You tired Pete?” Tony asks quietly, and Peter nods. “So, it’s past your bedtime, the question is, why are you still awake?”

Peter giggles quietly, and Steve looks over.

“I heard that!” He says, and jumps off the couch, pointing at Tony.

“So, you got into an argument with a friend.” Natasha starts.

“The question is, how will you make it up to them?” Clint finishes, and Steve starts leaving the room.

“That’s it, I hate you all. Team disbanded!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I finished another chapter. The question is, when will I write another one? 
> 
> Okay, lmao, I’ll stop now I swear. This wasn’t supposed to be a memey chapter, but I started and couldn’t stop myself. And any time I tried to change the tone, it felt inconsistent, so here we are. Anyway, I'll try and update a little quicker with the next chapter, and progress the fic on. But I'm going to have to reread the fic to remember what's actually going on, and I hate reading my own stuff, so I might dive in with plot points anyway.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> (Tumblr, if you care: https://crime-fighting-underoos.tumblr.com/ )


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